
<p>Players hailing from the USA in the UEFA Champions League are a relatively modern occurrence. Only since the mid-1990s have Americans started making regular appearances in the world’s premier club competition. But which Americans are the most successful in the UEFA <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">Champions League</a>?</p>



<p>Breaking into a big European club is a major mark of success for an American player. Furthermore, being named to the team sheet for an elite tournament like UCL is an even higher level of achievement. So by the metric of total appearances in the Champions League, these are the most successful American players in history:</p>



<h2>Americans in Champions League by appearances</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Player</strong></td><td><strong>Apps</strong></td><td><strong>Goals</strong></td><td><strong>Assists</strong></td><td><strong>Clubs</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Christian Pulisic</td><td>51</td><td>7</td><td>7</td><td>Dortmund, Chelsea, AC Milan</td></tr><tr><td>Weston McKennie</td><td>24</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>Schalke, Juventus</td></tr><tr><td>Sergiño Dest</td><td>23</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSV</td></tr><tr><td>Jermaine Jones</td><td>23</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>Leverkusen, Schalke</td></tr><tr><td>DeMarcus Beasley</td><td>22</td><td>4</td><td>2</td><td>PSV, Rangers</td></tr><tr><td>Gio Reyna</td><td>17</td><td>0</td><td>4</td><td>Dortmund</td></tr><tr><td>Tyler Adams</td><td>14</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>RB Leipzig</td></tr><tr><td>Sacha Kljestan</td><td>14</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>Anderlecht</td></tr><tr><td>Tim Howard</td><td>10</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Manchester United</td></tr><tr><td>Fabian Johnson</td><td>10</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>Mönchengladbach</td></tr><tr><td>Claudio Reyna</td><td>8</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Rangers</td></tr><tr><td>Kenny Saief</td><td>7</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>Gent</td></tr><tr><td>Tony Sanneh</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>Hertha Berlin</td></tr><tr><td>Michael Parkhurst</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Nordsjælland</td></tr><tr><td>Frankie Hejduk</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Leverkusen</td></tr><tr><td>Jovan Kirovski</td><td>5</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>Dortmund</td></tr><tr><td>John O’Brien</td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Ajax</td></tr><tr><td>Ethan Horvath</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Club Brugge</td></tr><tr><td>Maurice Edu</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>Rangers</td></tr><tr><td>Chris Richards</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Bayern Munich</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p>Recent standout players have quickly emerged as the most prolific Americans on the European stage.</p>



<p>Leading the pack is Christian Pulisic. The USMNT captain is far and away the leader in appearances, with more than double the next-closest player. His seven goals and seven assists are also top marks when it comes to offensive production in the competition. And Pulisic has done it with three of the continent’s biggest clubs, in three different leagues – Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, and now Milan. Pulisic doing it as a member of such massive clubs only adds to the impressiveness of the feat. </p>



<p>Up next is Weston McKennie. At 24 appearances he stands alone in second, having done so with Schalke 04 and Juventus. Meanwhile, Sergiño Dest has risen up the rankings in short order, currently tied with Jermain Jones at 23 appearances. Dest’s stints with Ajax, Barça, Milan, and PSV mark the most UCL nods with different clubs.</p>



<h2>The old guard</h2>



<p>Jones and DeMarcus Beasley set the pace for the generation of USA players that held the fort during the first decade-plus of the 21st century. Their careers at Leverkusen and Schalke, and PSV and Rangers respectively, helped set the tone that Americans could hold their own in Europe. </p>



<p>However despite guys like Beas, Jones, Pulisic, and others showing that Americans can kick it with the best of the best, overall the UCL is historically relatively bare in terms of American presence.</p>



<p>Still, both youngsters, Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna seem poised to continue to feature in the competition. But after those two, it’s fairly slim pickings – even including some of the more notable names like Tim Howard and Gio’s father, Claudio. </p>



<p>In fact, places 11-20 in the top 20 above have 54 total UEFA Champions League appearances <em>combined</em>. It’s probable that Christian Pulisic will equal that figure by himself when the 2023/24 Group Stage wraps up this December.</p>



<p>As the game continues to improve and grow in the US, we will undoubtedly export more players to Europe. And some will surely make noise in the Champions League. But we’ve still got a way to catch up to the traditional powers in the sport in terms of producing truly world-class players.</p>



<p><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>


Most successful Americans in Champions League history

More Americans than ever are playing in UEFA Champions League. Which players from the USA have appeared the most in UCL

Most successful Americans in Champions League history - World Soccer Talk

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<p>The best footballers inevitably find their way to the Premier League. England’s top tier routinely splashes big bucks on the top players in a never-ending arms race between the elite clubs. But what Americans have broken into the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a>?</p>



<p>The US is known for exporting goalkeepers to the United Kingdom, and one club in particular has earned a reputation for signing Americans in the 21st century. But the ranks of Americans in the Premier League go well beyond goalies and “Fulhamerica.”</p>



<p>From John Harkes – the first American to ever play in the Premier League, to more recent stars like Tim Ream and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/christian-pulisic/">Christian Pulisic</a>, Americans have made a name for themselves in the biggest league in the world.</p>



<h2>Americans playing in England since the 1930s</h2>



<p>There are even a couple of instances that pre-date the Premier League era, with Americans playing in England’s top tier as far back as the 1930s. In fact, 1930 World Cup US-naturalized players <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/story-manchester-uniteds-highest-scoring-american-time-20170807-CMS-218148.html">Jim Brown</a> (Manchester United) and Alexander Wood suited up in the First Division in the mid-1930s. </p>



<p>With 450 appearances spanning four different clubs, goalkeeper Brad Friedel has the most Premier League games of any American player. Friedel’s four Premier League clubs are also the most, a figure only matched by fellow goalkeeper Kasey Keller.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1280" height="715" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231023_WST_464105_AmericansEPL_Harkes_ee43d307.webp&amp;width=1280&amp;height=715" alt="John Harkes" class="wp-image-464120" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/AmericansEPL_Harkes.jpg 1280w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/AmericansEPL_Harkes-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/AmericansEPL_Harkes-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/AmericansEPL_Harkes-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"></figure><figcaption>John Harkes became the first American in the Premier League, playing in the competition’s first season in 1992/93 with Sheffield Wednesday</figcaption></figure>



<h2>List of Americans who have played in the Premier League</h2>



<p><em>* Born outside the US but capped for the US Senior National Team</em><br>**Played in Division 1, but prior to Premier League era</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Player</strong></td><td><strong>Born</strong></td><td><strong>Club(s)</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Aaronson, Brenden</td><td>NJ</td><td>Leeds</td></tr><tr><td>Adams, Tyler</td><td>NY</td><td>Leeds</td></tr><tr><td>Altidore, Jozy</td><td>NJ</td><td>Hull City, Sunderland</td></tr><tr><td>Balogun, Folarin</td><td>NY</td><td>Arsenal</td></tr><tr><td>Beasley, DaMarcus</td><td>IN</td><td>Manchester City</td></tr><tr><td>Bocanegra, Carlos</td><td>CA</td><td>Fulham</td></tr><tr><td>Bradley, Michael</td><td>NJ</td><td>Aston Villa</td></tr><tr><td>Brown, Jim**</td><td>Scotland*</td><td>Manchester United, Tottenham</td></tr><tr><td>Cameron, Geoff</td><td>MA</td><td>Stoke City</td></tr><tr><td>Convey, Bobby</td><td>PA</td><td>Reading</td></tr><tr><td>DeMerit, Jay</td><td>WI</td><td>Watford</td></tr><tr><td>Dempsey, Clint</td><td>TX</td><td>Fulham, Tottenham</td></tr><tr><td>Donovan, Landon</td><td>CA</td><td>Everton</td></tr><tr><td>Edu, Maurice</td><td>CA</td><td>Stoke City</td></tr><tr><td>Feilhaber, Benny</td><td>Brazil*</td><td>Derby County</td></tr><tr><td>Feuer, Ian</td><td>NV</td><td>West Ham, Derby</td></tr><tr><td>Friedel, Brad</td><td>OH</td><td>Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Tottenham</td></tr><tr><td>Gooch, Lynden</td><td>CA</td><td>Sunderland</td></tr><tr><td>Guzan, Brad</td><td>IL</td><td>Aston Villa, Middlesbrough</td></tr><tr><td>Hahnemann, Marcus</td><td>WA</td><td>Reading, Wolves</td></tr><tr><td>Harkes, John</td><td>NJ</td><td>Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham, Nottingham Forest</td></tr><tr><td>Holden, Stuart</td><td>Scotland*</td><td>Bolton Wanderers</td></tr><tr><td>Howard, Tim</td><td>NJ</td><td>Manchester United, Everton</td></tr><tr><td>Hyndman, Emerson</td><td>TX</td><td>Bournemouth</td></tr><tr><td>Johnson, Eddie</td><td>FL</td><td>Fulham</td></tr><tr><td>Johnson, Jemal</td><td>NJ</td><td>Blackburn Rovers</td></tr><tr><td>Jones, Cobi</td><td>MI</td><td>Coventry City</td></tr><tr><td>Jones, Jermaine</td><td>Germany*</td><td>Blackurn Rovers</td></tr><tr><td>Keller, Kasey</td><td>WA</td><td>Leicester City, Tottenham, Southampton, Fulham</td></tr><tr><td>Kerr, John**</td><td>Canada*</td><td>Portsmouth</td></tr><tr><td>Kirovski, Jovan</td><td>CA</td><td>Birmingham City</td></tr><tr><td>Lewis, Eddie</td><td>CA</td><td>Fulham, Derby County</td></tr><tr><td>Lichaj, Eric</td><td>IL</td><td>Aston Villa</td></tr><tr><td>McBride, Brian</td><td>IL</td><td>Everton, Fulham</td></tr><tr><td>McKennie, Weston</td><td>WA</td><td>Leeds</td></tr><tr><td>Miazga, Matt</td><td>NJ</td><td>Chelsea</td></tr><tr><td>Moore, Joe-Max</td><td>OK</td><td>Everton</td></tr><tr><td>Onyewu, Oguchi</td><td>D.C.</td><td>Newcastle</td></tr><tr><td>Otasowie, Owen</td><td>NY</td><td>Wolves</td></tr><tr><td>Preki</td><td>Serbia*</td><td>Everton</td></tr><tr><td>Pulisic, Christian</td><td>PA</td><td>Chelsea</td></tr><tr><td>Ream, Tim</td><td>MO</td><td>Bolton Wanderers, Fulham</td></tr><tr><td>Reyna, Claudio</td><td>NJ</td><td>Sunderland, Manchester City</td></tr><tr><td>Richards, Chris</td><td>AL</td><td>Crystal Palace</td></tr><tr><td>Robinson, Antonee</td><td>England*</td><td>Fulham</td></tr><tr><td>Sargent, Josh</td><td>MO</td><td>Norwich</td></tr><tr><td>Shea, Brek</td><td>TX</td><td>Stoke City</td></tr><tr><td>Smith, Johann</td><td>CT</td><td>Bolton Wanderers</td></tr><tr><td>Sommer, Juergen</td><td>NY</td><td>Queens Park Rangers</td></tr><tr><td>Spector, Jonathan</td><td>IL</td><td>Manchester United, Chartlon Athletic, West Ham</td></tr><tr><td>Steffen, Zack</td><td>PA</td><td>Manchester City</td></tr><tr><td>Trusty, Auston</td><td>PA</td><td>Sheffield United</td></tr><tr><td>Turner, Matt</td><td>NJ</td><td>Nottingham Forest</td></tr><tr><td>Vassilev, Indiana</td><td>GA</td><td>Aston Villa</td></tr><tr><td>Wegerle, Roy</td><td>South Africa*</td><td>Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City</td></tr><tr><td>Whitbread, Zak</td><td>TX</td><td>Norwich</td></tr><tr><td>Williams, Danny</td><td>Germany*</td><td>Huddersfield Town</td></tr><tr><td>Wood, Alexander**</td><td>Scotland*</td><td>Leicester City</td></tr><tr><td>Yedlin, DeAndre</td><td>WA</td><td>Tottenham, Sunderland, Newcastle</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p>Thanks to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2_IAlhQWFo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Harkes’ memorable stint at Sheffield Wednesday</a> for the Premier League’s inaugural 1992/93 campaign, at least one American has played in every competition season. </p>



<p><em>Photos: Imago</em></p>

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