Americans in the Premier League: Who are the USMNT players and US managers, coaches in EPL 2022/23?
In the United States, players have regularly competed in the Premier League since John Harkes became the first with Sheffield Wednesday in the league’s inaugural year in 1992.
Harkes, a US Soccer Hall of Famer, has played in over 100 games in England’s top flight and set a now well-trodden path for his compatriots.
From Brad Friedel to Clint Dempsey to Tim Howard to Landon Donovan, the top USMNT internationals have regularly attempted to compete in the world’s most popular league.
With the recent youth revolution in the USMNT, a number of young stars have also found their way into the EPL in recent seasons, with several new Americans arriving in the UK in the 2022 transfer window and two more making their way up from championship promotion.
Here, The Sporting News brings you a breakdown of the Americans set to play in the Premier League in 2022/23.
MORE: Full USMNT transfer rumors round-up for summer 2022 window
Americans in Premier League 2022/23
Matt Turner (TW, Arsenal, 28 years)
The USA international goaltender rose to prominence in his senior year with the New England Revolution, making his USMNT debut on February 1, 2021 and securing the regular starting spot soon after. It didn’t take long for a transfer to Arsenal to materialize, which became official in the summer of 2022. He currently sits behind Arsenal regular starter Aaron Ramsdale.
Christian Pulisic (LW, Chelsea, 23 years)
The USMNT captain joined Chelsea after a move from German giants Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019. He was an enigmatic figure at the London club, unable to secure consistent minutes under boss Thomas Tuchel but providing goals and assists whenever he saw the field. He’s still young and could yet find a regular role in Chelsea attacking or decide his prospects lie elsewhere.
Gabriel Slonina (TW, Chelsea, 18 years)
Slonina, a youth US international, is now consummated, although he will be back on loan with the Chicago Fire until January 2023. The youngster has enjoyed a meteoric rise since making his MLS debut and being named the youngest goalkeeper of the season in league history aged 17 years and 81 days on August 4, 2021. Chelsea initially paid $10m to bring him to London, and while he’s a long way off in the EPL in 2022/23, he very well is one for the future.
Chris Richards (CB, Crystal Palace, age 22)
The youth product of FC Dallas earned a move to FC Bayern Munich in 2018, but despite a few loan periods never developed into a squad player for the annual Bundesliga title favorite. In the summer of 2022, Richards sealed a move to Premier League club Crystal Palace to find a regular role. It remains to be seen how he will fare in Patrick Vieira’s squad in the long term.
Antonee Robinson (LB, Fulham, age 25)
An American at the club affectionately known as FulhAmerica, Robinson was born in the UK to an American citizen father. ‘Jedi’ weaved his way through Everton academy before finding himself at Fulham in the summer of 2020 and he stuck and grew into a suspension of the USMNT starting line-up. He’s a daily starter for the Whites and one of the club’s most consistent players.
Tim Ream (CB, Fulham, 34 years)
Ream has been a mainstay at Fulham since joining from Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 2015 and has emerged as one of the leaders of the London club. Ream has been a key part of several promotion squads but his time at the club could soon be coming to an end. Squad necessity saw him sign a one-year contract extension in the summer of 2022 but Ream’s demise has seen him dropped from the USMNT squad and his usefulness in the Premier League may be nearing completion. Still, it’s impossible to deny what he’s meant to Fulham and also to the US national team over the years.
Brenden Aaronson (RW, Leeds, age 21)
The older Aaronson brother joined RB Salzburg from Philadelphia Union in January 2021 and joined Leeds in the Premier League just 18 months later after new American manager Jesse Marsch identified Aaronson as perfect for his new Leeds system. Aaronson was involved in a goal (officially counted as an own goal) on his debut at Leeds and despite his young age appears to be a positive addition to the Premier League side.
Tyler Adams (CM, Leeds, 23 years)
The central midfielder from USMNT, who also joined Aaronson in the summer of 2022, came from RB Leipzig as another Red Bull system product from Marsch. Adams was also a starting XI in the club’s first Premier League game of the season and appears to fit well into the system Marsch hopes to implement at the Premier League side.
Jesse Marsch (manager, Leeds, aged 48)
Marsch took over from the legendary Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February 2022 and led the Yorkshire club (barely) to Premier League safety last season. He has turned things around with a heavy weight on his shoulders in the relegation battle and taking over a boss so beloved since the train wreck that spelled the end of the Bielsa era. Whether Leeds can remain a Premier League club long-term remains to be seen, but Marsch has brought a much-needed fortitude.
