10 Players You Didn’t Know Were Playing in MLS
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10 Players You Didn’t Know Were Playing in MLS

10 Players You Didn’t Know Were Playing in MLS

For decades, dating back to its establishment in the mid-90s, Major League Soccer has been an attractive option for European footballers looking to live lavishly. Some are attracted by the culture, some perhaps by the wages that come with a Designated Player (DP) contract, and others are looking for a more laid-back setting.

This leads to some forgotten stars of the past, who previously featured in the likes of La Liga, Serie A, and the Premier League, finding themselves testing their abilities across the United States. From Pennsylvania to Utah, here are ten players whose MLS move might’ve skipped your memory.

Rob Holding - Colorado Rapids

The central defender moved from South London to Denver last summer, leaving Crystal Palace after playing just 90 minutes for their senior team. Now aged 30, Holding had his moments in England, especially his breakthrough at Bolton and that 2020/21 campaign as a mainstay in Arsenal’s defence.

He now finds himself at the pinnacle of Kroenke-owned Colorado’s defence. The ‘Pids are aiming to return to their glory days, after failing to qualify for the play-offs in three of the last four seasons.

Maya Yoshida - LA Galaxy

Very much part of Saints folklore, Yoshida signed with the Galaxy partway through the 2023 season in an attempt to fix a defence which conceded 67 goals in 34 regular-season games. It's safe to say the transfer couldn’t have gone much better, as the 126-time capped Japanese international played almost every minute of the 2024 campaign, captaining his team to a first MLS Cup in a decade.

Last year, it became clear that the centre-half’s age was catching up with him. The LA Galaxy struggled for form all season, leading to the 37-year-old being replaced in the starting eleven by a new-look defensive pairing of Justin Haak and Jakob Glesnes this winter.

DeAndre Yedlin - Real Salt Lake

The American full-back is often associated with the final years of the Mike Ashley era at Newcastle United, making over a century of Premier League appearances for the Magpies. After leaving England’s Northeast five years ago, Yedlin has been on a journey around the States, playing for Inter Miami, Cincinnati, and now Real Salt Lake.

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur man has blended into the backdrop of MLS, playing for a side seemingly destined for a midtable finish each year, and the international scene, which he is no longer a part of.

Matthew Longstaff - Montreal

Unlike most names on this list and his brother, Longstaff never managed to settle into the Premier League rhythm. Most will recall the midfielder’s game-winning goal against Manchester United on his Newcastle debut, a performance which unfortunately did not reflect the youngster's next few years in England.

After a handful of unsuccessful loan moves to Scotland and the EFL, Longstaff left for Canada and, since 2023, has featured for either side of the Canadian Classique, regularly turning out for Toronto and Montreal. Longstaff has evidently found a home in North America, proving that MLS can be the perfect environment to turn a stalling career around.

Aleksei Miranchuk - Atlanta United

Off the back of winning the Europa League with Atalanta, the Russian international decided to venture into MLS football, signing for the similarly named Atlanta as one of their DPs. Upon his arrival, Miranchuk was quoted as saying one of the main motives for his deal with the Georgian outfit was his passion for Atlanta rappers Future, Lil Baby, Gunna, Young Thug, and Offset.

It hasn’t exactly worked out for the midfielder so far, often failing to live up to his price tag, especially under the management of Ronny Deila. The 2026 season will certainly offer an intriguing narrative regarding Miranchuk’s role under new head coach Tata Martino, as the Five Stripes look to move on from their dreadful 2025 campaign.

Matt Turner - New England Revolution

Turner left MLS later than most native players, staying with the Revolution until he was 28. Since then, the USMNT international has experienced backup roles at Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace. Fed up with waiting in the wings and concerned that his spot in the national team was under threat by NYCFC’s Matt Freese, Turner signed for Lyon last summer but was instantly loaned back home to New England, a move that will likely become permanent this summer.

The Revolution are a team in limbo right now and look a shade like their record-breaking 2021 team, which Turner was a part of. Now in his early 30s, some may not have realised the keeper had already returned to America less than four years after he departed in a bid to find first-team football once again.

Ashley Westwood - Charlotte

Charlotte has a history of signing cult players from the English pyramid, including Scott Arfield, Christian Fuchs, Nathan Byrne, Tim Ream, and Harry Toffolo, not to mention Wilfried Zaha. Westwood was one of the first, joining ahead of the Crown’s sophomore year in 2023.

The 35-year-old has over 100 caps for the North Carolinian outfit and is now the club captain. The former Aston Villa and Burnley man is set to continue starting for Dean Smith’s side, establishing a new midfield partnership with the incoming Luca de la Torre.

Hector Herrera - Houston Dynamo

The former Porto and Atletico Madrid man is still kicking around after leaving Europe almost four years ago to join Houston. The Mexican international made over 50 Champions League appearances and lifted the La Liga title with Atleti back in 2021.

The now 35-year-old has only just rejoined the Dynamo after spending the last 12 months in his homeland playing for Toluca. Herrera helped Houston to its second-ever US Open Cup triumph in 2023 and apparently never wanted to leave Texas in the first place. Bringing plenty of experience to a Dynamo midfield that boasts Jack McGlynn and Mateusz Bogusz as well, Herrera is a great pick-up for Houston and a perfect example of a 2010s baller still plying his trade in the States.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting - New York Red Bulls

From Stoke City to Bayern Munich, stopping off at PSG along the way, Choupo-Moting has had an insane career path and joined the Red Bulls 12 months ago as a free agent. It was unclear how the Cameroonian international would fare in America after turning 36 in March of last year; however, he scored 18 goals in 33 MLS games, developing a strong partnership with Emil Forsberg to form an awesome ex-Bundesliga attack.

James Rodriguez - Minnesota United

If you weren’t aware of the Colombian’s arrival in America’s Midwest, then this is your wake-up call. Rodriguez has had an insane journeyman-style career since leaving Real Madrid, bouncing between Merseyside, the Middle East, Greece, South America, a quick return to Spain’s capital, and Mexico before finally landing in Minnesota.

It’s undetermined whether the 34-year-old will be a hit for Minnesota, as he has effectively signed a four-month contract until the World Cup arrives, which he is bound to feature in more than a decade on from his World Cup Golden Boot.

The Loons have been stripped of multiple key players this offseason, as well as head coach Eric Ramsay, with the signing of James a shining positive amidst a damning winter period.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

James McLeish

Writer

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