This is merely a hypothetical situation at the moment since both specific players are likely years away from making such a move but it is still interesting to hear Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld and midfielder Dele Ali speak in glowing terms about the United States. Both were in the U.S. on a preseason tour with their English Premier League club; a stop in Colorado on Wednesday included a game against the MLS All-Stars (who won 2-1).
The 26-year-old Alderweireld is an up-and-coming player on the Belgian national team (which knocked the U.S. out of the World Cup in 2014) and he recently came to Tottenham this summer from another EPL team-Southampton-on a five-year deal. Still, he can’t help but notice all the buzz surrounding soccer in the States. “The league (MLS) is growing and they’re putting a lot of money in it so many of the best players from Europe are coming here.”
Ali is only 19 and he just moved up from the lower-level MK Dons in England. However, it might be surprising to hear how such a young Englishman already dreams of being here.
“It’s funny because my friends and I spoke before about where we’d like to retire if everything goes as planned and America is definitely a place that we think about. There are all sorts of great players here but this is a place that I’d love to live as well.”