The Premier League was rocked this week by the news that one of its greatest ever players would be leaving at the end of the season.
Steven Gerrard confirmed his departure from Liverpool and went on to reveal that he is in talks to move to the MLS when his Anfield career comes to an end.
It remains to be seen which team secures the services of the former England skipper, with New York City FC, New York Red Bulls and Los Angeles Galaxy all thought to be in the running.
Gerrard will become the latest high-profile Premier League star to cross the Atlantic and, with that in mind, Sports Mole takes a look at five other players who have made the switch.
1. David Beckham (LA Galaxy, 2007-12)
© Getty Images
The most famous name to play in the MLS is another former England captain, David Beckham. The midfielder raised a lot of eyebrows when he made the switch from Real Madrid, having just helped Los Blancos to the league title in Spain. The multi-million pound deal created headlines all over the world, but the move also proved to be practical on the field.
It was not all plain sailing, however. Beckham's decision to join AC Milan on loan and miss the first half of the 2009 MLS season angered Galaxy fans and, reportedly, some of the players too. However, he returned in time to help the club to the Western Conference title that year, although they lost on penalties in the MLS Cup final.
A second successive Western Conference title followed in 2010, and Beckham would continue to go from strength to strength. He helped the Galaxy to the MLS Cup in 2011 and repeated the feat again a year later in his final game for the club. He was substituted in the 89th minute of that match to a standing ovation.
2. Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls, 2010-2014)
© Getty Images
Another who made the switch from La Liga to the MLS, Thierry Henry arrived in the States as one of the most decorated players in world football. His time at Arsenal established him as arguably the greatest player to have graced the Premier League, while he picked up domestic and European titles at Barcelona.
Henry joined the Red Bulls in July 2010 and made an immediate impact on his debut, with two assists in a 2-2 draw. He went on to lead the team to the top of the Eastern Conference, but their MLS Cup bid fell short at the quarter-final stage. In 2013, the Frenchman helped the club to the first major trophy in their 17-year history as they became champions of the regular season.
Henry's stint in New York came to an end this winter, with the legendary striker retiring from the game at the age of 37. He left the Red Bulls having scored 52 goals in 135 games for the club.
3. Robbie Keane (Los Angeles Galaxy, 2011-present)
© Getty Images
Having fallen out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur and spent time on loan with both Celtic and West Ham United, Robbie Keane opted to switch to the MLS, signing for LA Galaxy to play alongside Beckham. The Irishman netted on his debut for the club and went on to enjoy a hugely-successful first season, setting up the only goal of the game in the 2011 MLS Cup final.
He went one better and got on the scoresheet himself in the following season's final, converting a penalty to seal a 3-1 victory. The Galaxy could not make it three titles in a row in 2013, but re-established themselves as the dominant force in the MLS during 2014, thanks largely to Keane's contribution.
The veteran striker was named the league's MVP having scored a career-high 19 goals and picked up 14 assists in just 29 appearances, while he capped off a memorable year with an 111th-minute winner in the MLS Cup final, sealing a record fifth title for the club.
4. Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls, 2012-present)
© Getty Images
Tim Cahill established himself as something of a cult hero during his time in English football with Millwall and Everton, ending a eight-year stint with the latter in July 2012. The move was understood to be worth around £1m, and Cahill set about proving that price to be a bargain.
The Australian had a number of memorable moments during 2013 in particular, scoring a 91st-minute winner against reigning champions LA Galaxy while also netting the fastest goal in MLS history with an eight-second strike. He helped the club to their first major piece of silverware that year as they ended the regular season with the best record.
5. Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls, 2013-present)
© Getty Images
It is fair to say that Bradley Wright-Phillips never made it in the top flight of English football. A handful of appearances for a pre-investment Manchester City was all that the striker managed in the Premier League before dropping down the divisions to play for the likes of Southampton, Plymouth Argyle and Charlton Athletic.
However, the striker has been a revelation since moving to the MLS in mid-2013, helping the New York Red Bulls to the Supporters' Shield that year - the club's first ever major piece of silverware. There was more individual success to come in 2014 as Wright-Phillips equalled the MLS regular season goalscoring record with 27 in just 32 games. He went on to add four more in four playoff games, but could not help the Red Bulls past the Conference final.
