Didier Drogba has joined Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in swapping a European superclub for MLS. That transition seems natural and sensible now but it’s easy to forget that David Beckham was mocked for leaving Europe in 2007

It’s strange what falling out with the Real Madrid manager can lead to; the evolution of Major League Soccer and the career of David Beckham can attest to that. Having become increasingly marginalised at the Santiago Bernabéu, and having lost his place in the England team, the world’s most recognisable footballer made the shock decision to join LA Galaxy in January 2007.



Beckham became the first marquee name to move across the Atlantic since the league formed in 1996. Pelè, Johan Cruyff, George Best and Franz Beckenbauer all played in the North American Soccer League in the 1970s and 1980s but they struggled to leave a lasting impression on the domestic game. Beckham, on the other hand, has altered the MLS rulebook on transfers.

The designated player rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, was introduced in 2007 to allow every MLS club to sign a few players outside their salary cap. The rule altered the way MLS sides do their business and has transformed the league into a viable and desirable football destination.

For every Beckham there are dozens of players in the mould of Portland Timbers’ Liam Ridgewell, Chicago Fire’s Shaun Maloney and Seattle Sounders’ Obafemi Martins, players who have helped develop the international reputation of the league. So far over 100 players from 32 countries, ranging from Gambia to Albania, have profited from the rule.

Eight years after his move, Beckham’s reported £128m contract represents the blueprint for European football’s finest senior citizens as they rage against the dying of the light. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Villa, Robbie Keane, Kaká and Andrea Pirlo have all succumbed to the allure of US football’s life-preserving qualities.

Didier Drogba has just agreed to join Montreal Impact in a move described as one of the biggest days in the club’s history by their president, Joey Saputo. Drogba’s signing is a huge statement of intent for Impact, who finished bottom of the Eastern Conference last season. The two-time Premier League golden boot winner will add further heavyweight swagger to the growing roster of ageing stars in MLS. These players have won league titles, World Cups and Champions League medals in their illustrious careers. They all could have secured deals in Europe but instead opted for a new challenge in the US. Why?

Mega-money deals, regular first-team football, the English language, the chance to live in some of the world’s most famous cities and the ability to dominate an increasingly competitive league well into their 30s. Oh yes, MLS has its selling points.

Life in LA will come as welcome respite for Gerrard after more than a decade of being Liverpool’s standard-bearer, and it is unlikely his new team-mate, Keane, who won last season’s MVP award, would still be lauded in the same manner in the Premier League. Keane was instrumental last season as LA Galaxy won their record fifth MLS Cup, scoring 19 goals, including the winner in the final against the New England Revolution. As one of the most popular players in the league, Keane is enjoying a renaissance in the Golden State. He has also managed to remain relevant on the international stage and keep the Republic of Ireland captaincy.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of MLS is the way the season runs from March to October, with playoffs and the final being decided by the end of December. This leaves a two-month window for players to come home for Christmas or make loan moves and effectively prolong their shelf life in elite European competition.

Beckham’s transfer to LA Galaxy allowed him to play for Milan in his mid-30s and win the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 38. Thierry Henry enjoyed a memorable loan spell at Arsenal from New York Red Bulls in 2012, and rolled back the years with a winner against Leeds United in the FA Cup. Lampard played a full season of Premier League football after extending his controversial move to Manchester City beyond its original deadline. His New York City colleague, Villa, sojourned to Australia with Melbourne City while the New York project was in its infancy.

There is speculation that Gerrard could be loaned back to Liverpool over Christmas. It’s unlikely, but he will be able to reassess his options when the off-season comes around in LA. A loan move to another top club would do little to tarnish his gleaming reputation at Anfield.

With players taking so many advantages from their moves to the US it’s easy to forget the vast array of positives they bring to MLS. They contribute on the pitch, and the commercial opportunities they offer pay off much of their hefty salaries while raising the profiles of their new clubs.

Pirlo, who joined New York City on a free transfer this summer, represents a massive coup for a club that is in its debut season. The World Cup winner, who was an integral part of the Juventus team that made it to the Champions League final in June, and still plays for the Italian national side, would feature in most top European teams. With 115 caps, Pirlo has no desire to relinquish the stranglehold he has held on the Italy midfield for more than a decade. The idea of their player dominating teams at Euro 2016 will be a mouthwatering prospect for his new employers.

The triumvirate Pirlo is set to form with Lampard and Villa will also help the newcomers bridge the gap to the division’s top teams. New York City’s ambition in the transfer market is yet to be matched by results in their debut MLS season. They are currently struggling in the Eastern Conference and hopes are high that the arrival of Lampard and Pirlo will signal an upturn in form.

Average attendances across all stadiums last season hit an all-time high of 19,151 – partly due to an impressive showing from the US team at the World Cup – and figures for this year are already showing a further increase to 20,944. It’s boom time for the league and the influx of international superstars only adds to its growing popularity.

Gerrard’s presentation attracted a capacity crowd of 27,000 at the Galaxy’s StubHub Center. Many of those in attendance will have parted with the $120 for a sparkling new jersey with his name and number on the back. That would be good business for any club.

British viewers had no appetite for the league a decade ago but now Sky are taking over from BT as the home of MLS football for the next four years and are pushing their product hard. Two games a week will be shown and the entire close season and MLS Cup final will also feature. It’s not a massive amount of games but it represents a pivotal development in the positive perception of the league in the UK. Having two of England’s most capped players in the league will only speed up this process.

With the migration of Europe’s stars to the US showing little sign of slowing up, MLS looks set to continue its growth. The league and football’s best ageing talent have developed an everlasting, symbiotic relationship.

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