With Landon Donovan's move to Everton seemingly imminent, football.co.uk trawls the Premier league archives to bring you some of the best Premier League players America has to offer.
5. Brian McBride
David Moyes clearly rates the tall striker as he signed him for two different clubs in the early part of the decade.
In 2000, a young Moyes signed McBride for Preston North End and Everton. While at Goodison Park he impressed with four goals in eight games but the MLS rejected Everton's bid to extend his loan.
Soon after leaving Merseyside, McBride joined Fulham, where he played for four years as part of the American invasion in West London. As a striker, 40 goals in 153 games does not sound extremely impressive but McBride's game was based on much more than scoring.
He was a strong and powerful striker who could hold the ball up well. He is now back in America, playing for Chicago Fire.
4. Claudio Reyna
Reyna started where a lot of American footballers in Europe do – Germany – with Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg.
His first British team was Rangers before Sunderland signed the central midfielder. He missed most of his first season in the North East through injury and was sold the next when the Mackems got relegated.
Reyna went on to play almost 100 games for Manchester City, whom he captained, but his four years there was blighted with injury.
Reyna, who has a total of 112 caps for the USA, then went on to represent New York Red Bulls, his first domestic American side.
3. Clint Dempsey
Another extremely talented American to make the jump to England's top division. The MLS rejected a bid from Charlton Athletic in 2006 for him before Fulham captured his signature.
Dempsey failed to light up the Premier League in his early days at Craven Cottage but has now established himself as of their most important players.
Like the other players in this list, Dempsey has played over 50 times for his national team, having started his career with New England Revolution.
2. Tim Howard
Possibly the most talented American to try his luck across the pond, Howard signed for Manchester United in 2004.
Having impressed at New York Metrostars, he had trouble disposing Fabin Barthez as number one at Old Trafford. He was then loaned to Everton, who he later signed for, and is now nearing 100 appearances at Goodison Park.
One running joke through Howard's career in England is his tourettes syndrome but I am afraid we cannot divulge the content of songs aimed at him!
1. Brad Friedel
Friedel is now in his 12th season in the Premier League, having played for three different teams.
Liverpool signed the American from Columbus Crew around Christmas 1997 but his chances at Anfield were limited. He spent most of his time as second choice to Sander Westerveld and was moved on to Blackburn Rovers in 2000.
He arrived at Ewood Park under Greame Souness and soon turned into a bargain signing, playing almost 300 games for the Lancashire side. While there, he was one of the few goalkeepers to score in the Premier League, equalising against Charlton Athletic.
After eight years with Rovers, Friedel signed for Aston Villa for £2.5m where his understudy is compatriot Brad Guzan.
Friedel's career in England could have started much earlier, in fact, but he was denied work permits after trying to sign for Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Sunderland.
- by David Brenchley
Source: DSG
