America’s Major League Soccer is set to return this weekend and a handful of English players will be looking to impress.
11 players will feature across the Atlantic this year, with the first games starting on Saturday, February 26.
The league is growing in stature with a series of huge signings over the off-season, and beginning to capitalise on exporting its best products.
Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC) and Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire) are just two of the superstars that have been lured stateside from Napoli and Liverpool respectively.
Below is the best of the English cohort to keep tabs on in 2022.
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Dru Yearwood – New York Red Bulls
Yearwood is entering his third year with Red Bulls, off the back of a promising campaign in 2021 where he made 30 appearance as his team reached the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
The ball-winning midfielder, who models himself on Claude Makelele and Ngolo Kante, also scored his first professional goal in September against DC United
The 22-year-old is formerly of Brentford, where he made five appearances before making the move to New York, and also appeared 61 times for Southend United before that.
Tom Edwards – New York Red Bulls
Full-back Edwards returns for a second loan spell in New York from Stoke City after making 28 appearances for Red Bulls last year.
Edwards is a former England under-20 international, earning three appearances, and his versatility has been a useful asset for Red Bulls as he’s been able to play as a makeshift centre-back.
He’s also added the long throw to his armoury after working on it with Rory Delap whilst at Stoke.
Jack Elliott – Philadelphia Union
Elliott is an experienced campaigner in the MLS, having come through the US College system and entering the league with Philadelphia as a fourth-round pick in the 2017 MLS Superdraft.
The 6’6 defender played every game in 2019, scoring in the club’s first ever Playoff win, a 4-3 victory against New York Red Bulls.
In 2020 he was a key part of the Union team that won the MLS Supporter’s Shield, despite the disruption of the Coronavirus pandemic, and continues to be a mainstay of the team’s defence.
Born in London but to Scottish parents, Elliott has been recommended to Scotland national team boss Steve Clarke as someone deserving of a call-up.
Calvin Harris – Cincinnati FC
21-year-old Harris has taken a less-trodden path to the MLS, after moving from Middlesbrough to Hong Kong aged 10, and then was signed by A-League club Wellington Phoenix aged 14.
Unable to represent the Kiwi club until he turned 18 due to FIFA regulations, Harris played in friendly matches before departing the club after they opted against signing him to a pro deal due to a cap on players from abroad.
He ended up playing college football in the US before being drafted second overall by Cincinnati in 2021, for whom he made 14 appearances last season.
Anton Walkes – Charlotte FC
Charlotte FC are the new kids on the block, entering the league for the first time in 2022 and they traded £900,000 of general allocation money to pry the talents of Walkes away from Atlanta United.
The Tottenham Hotspur academy product has been plying his trade in the US since 2020, and after two years at Atlanta he’s now looking to become a cornerstone of the MLS’ newest franchise.
He’ll be teammates with the likes of Polish international striker Karol Swiderski and former Premier League winner Christian Fuchs.
