MLS: 5 Manchester United men that have shaped American soccer

How has Manchester United changed the landscape of U.S. Soccer and MLS play? Well, here are five ex-players that have had a major impact Stateside.

Former Manchester United superstars Luis Nani and Wayne Rooney met for the first time on a soccer pitch for six years as D.C. United beat Orlando City. Both players are showing the importance of what playing for such a big club can do. Here, we take a look back on how this gargantuan club, Manchester United, has helped shape American soccer.

Nani and Rooney are two of four ex-United players currently plying their trade in Major League Soccer, with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zlatan Ibrahimovic being the other two. And previously, MLS has seen legendary figures like Tim Howard, David Beckham and even before the days of MLS, former World Player of the Year, George Best produce some memorable moments in the U.S.

Manchester United, this historic club, is built on one thing: success. And their players have gone on to become some of soccers greatest-ever, winning title after title, year after year.

But, this world-leading club has a special connection with American soccer. Many illustrious names have been made and turned into serial winners over in the North of England, and some would later travel Stateside for a kickabout for a couple of years.

So, let’s take a look back on five men who have gone from Manchester to America and how they have helped shape soccer in this country.

5. George Best

George Best was two things: Ridiculously good at soccer and ridiculously famous.

This man was the first soccer superstar. He is the OG that juggled his soccer talents with fame. We are all aware of the glitz and the glamour soccer stars live, but, all this outrageous fortune started with this Irishman

Best would bag a brace in the afternoon and indulge in fame and Miss World in the evening. He was the first real football celebrity.

But, the Northern Irishman was made in Manchester, becoming arguably their greatest ever player in his 12-year tenure at Old Trafford, which saw him score 179 times in 470 appearances, winning Europe’s biggest prize along the way.

Two years after his final United appearance, Best would join the now dissolved Los Angeles Aztecs in 1976 for a year and reunite with them in 1978 before joining Fort Lauderdale Strikers a year after and finishing his stint in America with two years at the San Jose Earthquakes in 1981 and ’82.

Best would score 50 goals on American soil, two decades before the MLS was officially founded. But, there can be no denying the impact this Ballon D’or winner had on American soccer, during a period in the 70s where Americans would first fall in love with the sport.

I guess this legend of the game deserves quite the thank you for what he has done for U.S soccer.