Bale has touched down in California and will join a long list of stars who have swapped major European leagues for MLS at the back end of their careers. Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and many more have previously turned out in the North American league.
Here we take a look at some familiar players who call MLS home.
Carlos Vela
Vela made just 29 league appearances during a seven-year stint with Arsenal, but has been a stalwart performer in MLS. The Mexican forward has bagged 73 goals and 37 assists in just 118 appearances for LAFC, who made him their first ever designated player in 2018. Continue reading