MLS: 10 most famous players to have played in Major League Soccer in the USA

The MLS may not be the world's most accomplished league in footballing terms. But ever since David Beckham moved to Los Angeles to play for the LA Galaxy in 2007, a host of other stars from top European clubs, have made the move across the Atlantic Ocean to play in the top flight of American football.

While some players like Sebastian Giovinco and Robbie Keane have lit up the MLS during their stints with Toronto FC and LA Galaxy respectively, some others did not have the happiest stints across the pond, in their American ventures.

We take a look at the top 10 most famous players to have plied their trade in the US, with an MLS franchise.

#10 Steven Gerrard

The former Liverpool captain joined LA Galaxy, following in Beckham's footsteps, in 2015, after calling time on a 17-year senior team career with his boyhood club.

Gerrard admitted after he had retired from football that he found his MLS stint to be among the toughest of his career. The current Rangers boss said he had trouble adjusting to the different climatic conditions across the country, the long hours of travel, and the fact that most MLS games were played on artificial turf.

Gerrard made 34 appearances for the Galaxy in his 18-month stint in Los Angeles, scoring five goals and picking up a further 14 assists, as the side made the playoffs in both seasons that Gerrard played for them, but could not go on to win the MLS Cup in either year.

After his departure from Los Angeles, Gerrard had a season as the head coach of the Liverpool U18s, before taking over the first team reins at Glasgow Rangers.

#9 Frank Lampard

Accrington Stanley v Derby County - FA Cup Fourth Round

In many ways, Frank Lampard was a part of the first real MLS Galacticos. He played for New York City FC, in a side that also consisted of Andrea Pirlo and David Villa.

Lampard spent only a season with New York, and it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for him, with controversy popping up even before his career started. Lampard had signed an agreement with New York, a year before he actually played. He courted controversy when he instead moved to Manchester City and played there for a season before moving to New York.

The MLS was accused of using Lampard as a promotion tool alone after no action was taken to ensure he eventually ended up playing for New York that season.

In the season that Lampard did play for New York, he scored 15 goals in 29 games, as the side reached the Eastern Conference semifinal, where they were soundly beaten by Toronto FC - 7-0 on aggregate.

The Chelsea legend retired from club football after that stint in the MLS and is currently the head coach of EFL Championship side Derby County.

#8 Andrea Pirlo

With 60 appearances for New York City FC, Andrea Pirlo played a few more games than Lampard for Manchester City's sister club. But by the time his stint with New York ended, Pirlo was willed on to leave by a section of New York City fans.

This came to the fore in July 2017, during a game against Toronto FC, which New York City lost 4-0. Pirlo's lack of running ensured Sebastian Giovinco had acres of space to exploit in the centre of the park, and he put New York to the sword.

Well, running was never his forte, anyway! He was never really big on the work rate bit, even in his prime.

Maybe like Gerrard said, even Pirlo found it difficult to adapt to some of the unique features of the MLS - such as the artificial turfs, the long travel and the different demographics they have to deal with - such as altitude.

#7 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

"Dear Los Angeles, You're Welcome," remember that?

Even before he'd kicked a ball for the Galaxy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic put his stamp on the city with a full-page advertisement on the LA Times, after he'd signed for the club.

The performances on the pitch, too, didn't take too long to follow.

With 22 goals and 10 assists in 27 appearances, Ibrahimovic put together one of the best MLS debut campaigns in recent memory. He was duly named 'Newcomer of the Year', an accolade that was fully justified.

This season, Ibrahimovic has only started off where he left off last season - with three goals in Galaxy's first two MLS Western Conference matches.

With Robbie Keane retired, Galaxy acquired the services of Ibrahimovic to fill a gaping hole in the goalscoring department, and the Swede has only embraced the challenge and gone on to score some absolutely spectacular, none more so than the one on his debut for the Galaxy against city rivals Los Angeles FC.

#6 David Villa

David Villa was there with New York City FC from the beginning of the club's existence, and the supporters have every reason to remember him more fondly than they do Lampard and Pirlo.

Spain's all-time top scorer had finished a La Liga winner with Atletico Madrid in 2014 and signed for New York City FC, playing in Australia while he waited for their inaugural MLS campaign.

With 80 goals in 124 games for New York, Villa was a certified star for the club, but couldn't help them win the MLS Cup in his stay in the USA. But that staggering goalscoring record leaves him as one of the all-time MLS greats.

Villa was one of the rare foreign superstars who actually came to the MLS and delivered on the pitch, apart from being an icon in promoting the game in the US.

The Spanish superstar is currently playing with compatriot Andres Iniesta for Vissel Kobe in the J-League. Lukas Podolski and Sergi Samper complete an all-star lineup for the Japanese club.

#5 Kaka

In his three years with Orlando City FC, Kaka was an icon - someone who put Orlando on the American footballing map.

The Lions didn't really perform extraordinarily on the pitch, but Kaka was one of the reasons the club and the city grew as much as it did in a footballing sense.

He was the MLS's highest-earning player at the time, and therefore was an easy target of those that wanted to pin the blame for Orlando's poor performances on his shoulders.

But, as his teammate Alex Leitao said when Kaka called it quits, "Orlando City is a small, little kid - 3-years-old - and Kaká was always there helping us to stand up and learn to walk."

By the standards that Kaka set during his time in Europe, with AC Milan especially, 24 goals in 75 games may seem a mediocre return, but for many MLS clubs, the contribution of some of these greats goes beyond just the achievements on the pitch.

Since the formation of Orlando City FC, the city hosted the US National Team, the Copa America and the annual International Champions Cup. Kaka played a part in discovering a new footballing community in Florida.

#4 Thierry Henry

New York Red Bulls v New England Revolution - Eastern Conference Final - Leg 2

One of the greatest footballers to join the MLS, Henry had an incredible career before moving to the USA. Multiple Premier League and La Liga titles, a Champions League winners' medal, a World Cup title, in 1998, and a European Championship with France in 2000.

At the prime of his career, Henry was one of the top five strikers in world football. He left both Arsenal and France as their all-time top scorers; not bad when you consider he started off as a winger during his time in Monaco.

After two excellent seasons, Henry hit a lean patch in his third campaign with Barcelona in 2009-2010, managing only 4 goals as other players were preferred. After a slow start in New York, he began to show his ability of old. From 2011 to 2014, the Frenchman was named an MLS all-star and his displays lit up the league.

Everything was done with flair, everything was performed in the best way that Thierry Henry knows, with a swagger. Although he never won the MLS Cup, Henry had a Supporters' Shield win in 2013

#3 Didier Drogba

Montreal Impact v Toronto FC - Eastern Conference Finals - Leg 2

Didier Drogba’s time in Montreal was a rollercoaster ride. There were some beautiful highs and some controversially awkward lows. The former Chelsea superstar joined the Impact in July 2015, after the end of his stint in Turkey with Galatasaray, and immediately began doing what he does best. He was a nightmare for opposition defences at the start of his MLS career, as he scored 11 goals in his first 11 regular season matches, a run that was enough to send the Impact into the playoffs.

He was expected to be the man that carried the side in 2016, but never really got things going after missing four of the season's opening five games - a decision he took to avoid playing on artificial turf. He did manage to record 10 goals and six assists in 22 regular season games, but there was controversy in the penultimate regular season game, even though it did cool off before the playoffs began.

In that game, Drogba refused to come on as a substitute, and that stoked claims that he may leave the Impact immediately, but he stayed on and played in the playoffs, where the Impact were beaten 7-5 on aggregate by Canadian rivals Toronto FC.

#2 Wayne Rooney

Rooney is lighting up the MLS for DC United. He's already become a firm favorite with the DC fans - a status he cemented very early.

In a home game against Orlando City last season, with the scores tied 2-2 in injury time at the end of the game, Rooney provided one of the most jaw-dropping sequences of play in the MLS all season.

A corner was cleared, and he bust a gut to track back and put in a sliding tackle to dispossess the opposition player and then put in a superb cross for Luciano Acosta to win DC United the game.

In 24 games for DC United since joining them at the end of the 2017-18 Premier League, he's scored 16 goals and 8 assists.

He's started this season spectacularly as well, having got four goals and two assists in four games. He even scored direct off a corner in DC United's game away at Orlando City.

#1 David Beckham

World Series of Football - Los Angeles Galaxy v Chelsea FC

Let's not look at the on-pitch side of thing - David Beckham was, is, and probably will always remain the MLS's greatest ever superstar. He will be the man who changed the image of the league forever.

In the summer of 2007, when Beckham moved from Real Madrid to Los Angeles, a precedent was set. The MLS had become an attractive destination for even superstars of Beckham's profile.

On the pitch, too, he didn't fare too bad. He won two MLS Cups title for the Galaxy and still remains a kind of father figure at the club - who unveiled a statue in his honor last month.

Beckham did move to Europe on several loan stints during his time with the Galaxy, but he was always present for the Galaxy during the MLS, ensuring his loan stints came largely during the off-season and the very start of the MLS regular season.

If anyone can beat the impact that Beckham has had on football in the United States, he'd have to achieve something incredibly special, because that is the nature of the image that Beckham currently holds.

Edited by Zaid Khan