The evolution and importance of the MLS Designated Player

Frank Lampard was the worst Designated Player signing in MLS history. Then, he got on the field.

Since making his first start of the 2016 season on June 18th at Yankee Stadium against the Philadelphia Union, Lampard has scored nine times in ten games over a stretch in which NYCFC has gone 6-2-2 and vaulted to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Lampard can still play. The traits that made him one of the most prolific goal-scorers in Premier League history – from his instinctual finishing ability to his impeccable since of timing in and around the box – have, unsurprisingly, translated to MLS.

In fact, all of Lampard’s problems since signing for – or, in official parlance, signing a “pre-contract” with – NYCFC in January of last year can be traced back to a single root cause. Lampard wasn’t on the field for his new club.

At first, that was because Lampard chose to stay at Manchester City through the conclusion of the 2014-2015 Premier League season and miss the beginning of NYCFC’s inaugural campaign, and then, this year, it was because he was injured.

But now that he’s hit his first sustained spell of fitness for NYCFC, the day three months ago when Lampard was booed in at Yankee Stadium during the New York Derby feel a long way away.

As Chris Wondolowski said before NYCFC play San Jose earlier this month, “Lampard is healthy now. It really is that simple. He’s obviously a world-class player.”

Lampard’s story, to date, shows that great players will be great if they play week in and week out. But it’s more interesting for its parallels to another former England legend, and what they say about MLS as a whole.

Because the MLS career arc of David Beckham – the poster child of and original cause for the Designated Player rule – looks a lot like Lampard’s on a more drawn out scale.

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Beckham’s first four years in MLS were marred by injuries and European loans that saw the miss almost half of his team’s games from 2007 through 2010. When Beckham returned to LA from AC Milan in 2009, he too was booed by his home fans.

It was only when Beckham was healthy and locked in – his last two seasons in the league, 2011 and 2012 – that he set MLS career highs in goals and assists, won MLS Cup twice, and ended his American adventure on a high.

The road to success in 2011 started during the 2010 offseason, when LA blocked a potential loan move for Beckham to Tottenham. It was a turning point for the league, and an obvious signal about what it takes to succeed in it.

There is the rare case of a player who doesn’t take to the league – think Jermaine Defoe in Toronto – but for the most part, keeping great players healthy, committed, and on the field is all it takes for them to do well in MLS.

We’re at the point now where offseason loans for MLS players simply don’t happen. Liam Ridgewell was the league’s only DP to play abroad last winter, and the injury problems he’s had this season for the Timbers might not be entirely unrelated.

Robbie Keane is widely considered in league circles to be the greatest MLS DP signing of all-time, and while Keane is certainly a fantastic and driven player, his success in the league has had plenty to do with his longevity and durability.

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Including the playoffs, Keane has played 137 times for the Galaxy. Get a player of Keane’s ability on the field that much, and you’ll reap huge rewards. So far, the Irishman has scored 89 MLS goals.

David Villa is another example. The Spaniard has only missed five games in two years for NYCFC, and, consequently, has been sensational. Eighteen goals last year, fifteen and a share of the Golden Boot lead so far this year.

As clubs have gotten choosier with their DP signings, cases where a player comes in and acquits himself terribly – Rafa Marquez is the ultimate example, with Lothar Matthaus not far behind – are increasingly rare.

The Lampard saga – especially the part involving Manchester City – was an unwelcome throwback. Nowadays, MLS DP signings are trending younger and more expensive in exchange for long-term commitment and production.

Sebastian Giovinco, Diego Valeri, and Ignacio Piatti have all been worth their weight in gold for their respective clubs. All three were signed before they were 30, and with the exception of an ACL injury that cost Valeri the first two months of the 2015 season, they’ve all stayed healthy.

Signings like Steven Gerarrd’s and Didier Drogba’s – for a season and a half only – are now few and far in between.

Nicolas Lodeiro, at 27, fits that mold for the Seattle Sounders. Hector Villalba will fit it for Atlanta. Valeri, who just signed a contract extension through 2019, has said he wants to retire in Portland.

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This trend, along with the improvement of academies and player development across the league, will improve the standard of MLS play by an order of magnitudes. Investment is becoming imperative to compete.

It’s why we’ve seen clubs like Philadelphia, Colorado, and New England spend in big ways this season, bringing in players like Tim Howard, Alejandro Bedoya, and Xavier Kouassi.

The numbers are clear enough. Four of the five league leaders in both goals and assists are Designated Players – and clubs like Dallas who don’t spend big are winning because they are elite in identifying and coaching talent.

It’s becoming harder for mediocre players to stay in MLS. One look at a handful of NASL rosters will tell you that. DPs have to be better. There will always be European veterans in MLS, but the retirement home tag is carrying little weight these days.

MLS has come a long way since Beckham landed in LA. It still has a ways to go, but these are undeniably encouraging signs that the league – now in its third decade – is firmly entrenched on the right track.