In 1990, following the United States' first appearance in the FIFA World Cup in 40 years, forward John Harkes signed with Sheffield Wednesday, a second-division English club. That was a big deal. While the U.S. player pool had growing promise, Europe wasn't really taking notice. Tab Ramos would play for Real Betis for a couple of years in the mid-1990s, Eric Wynalda would play for FC Saarbrucken and Bochum, and Claudio Reyna for Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City (among others). But the signings were few and far between.
USMNT's European stars: How McKennie, Pulisic, Scally & Co. measure up in 2021-22
