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Across the pond: three former Premier League stars playing their football in the MLS

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As Major League Soccer (MLS) continues to develop in the United States, more and more players are starting to call America their home. Here is a look at three former Premier League stars currently playing their football in the MLS.

Carlos Vela (LAFC)

Known by many Premier League fans for his time at Arsenal, Vela has called Los Angeles his home for five straight seasons now. He didn’t cross the pond directly to the States, though, instead spending six-and-a-half years in the Basque Country with Real Sociedad in La Liga. While his best season with the Gunners garnered just six goals in 29 appearances (2008-09), Vela had several stellar campaigns in Spain, with a total of 73 goals and 43 assists in 250 appearances for Erreala.

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While LAFC finished atop the Western Conference of the MLS, Ohio teams Cleveland SC and FC Columbus tend to feature in the semi-professional National Premier Soccer League. Sports such as the NFL and NBA remain the state’s most popular to watch and to bet on. This competition in the industry has given rise to sites such as BonusFinder, which offers users the hottest sports betting apps that will be available in Ohio in 2023. Across the states in California, though, Vela has never looked back, banking 79 goals and 43 assists in his 139 appearances for the club.

Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire)

Depending on allegiances, Premier League fans will remember Shaqiri either for his time at Stoke City or Liverpool, although his spell in Merseyside was certainly the more decorated. Shaqiri won a Premier League, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup trophy during his time with the Reds, building on a whole host of awards won with German giant, Bayern Munich. At Liverpool, the 31-year-old scored eight goals and provided nine assists, his most prolific spell coming in 2018-19.

With his performances on the wane, Shaqiri made the short trip across the English Channel to Lyon in the summer of 2021, where he failed to make much of an impact. However, the story has been very different since he signed for Chicago Fire in February 2022. The Switzerland international fired home seven goals – his first a beauty against Sporting Kansas City back in March – as the Fire’s early season title charge dwindled, eventually finishing the season in 12th.

Gareth Bale (LAFC)

For the last entry on this list, we return to the MLS champion, LAFC – a trophy in which former Spurs star Gareth Bale had a big hand. The 33-year-old scored a last-minute extra-time header to take the final against Philadelphia Union to penalties, which his side duly won. The goal was only his third in 14 appearances since his move to the States, but Bale’s instant impact following a move from Real Madrid in July proves his quality on the grandest of stages.

The Welshman was at it again for his national side at the Qatar World Cup, netting an 82nd-minute equaliser for Wales against the USA in what was their first World Cup match since 1958. His number of goals for Cymru adds to an impressive career haul of five Champions Leagues, four FIFA Club World Cups and three La Liga trophies. While his Premier League career for Tottenham and Southampton may have been less decorated, his start in the States has kicked on where he left off in Spain.

As the number of players featuring in America’s elite tier is on the rise, there are many more names that could have featured on this list. There could be a few more when the next campaign begins, as new heroes emerge to contest the crown currently held by LAFC.