Five US Stars Playing Overseas Including Christian Pulisic at Chelsea

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 01 March 2023

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

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US Stars Playing Overseas

Christian Pulisic at Chelsea made headlines when he moved from the US to play for one of the UK’s top Premier League teams. However, he’s not the only American to play abroad – and in this blog, we’re going to be looking at some of the most well-known and influential USA athletes who’ve been to another country to ply their profession.

• Christian Pulisic at Chelsea – What Other US Players Moved Abroad?
• Mason Cox
• Zack Steffen
• Nigel Williams-Goss
• Jordan Loyd
• Tyler Adams
• Frequently Asked Questions

Christian Pulisic at Chelsea and Other Americans Playing Overseas

Whether it’s Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, or other Americans playing overseas, there has been a long and steady stream of US players snapping up offers to play at clubs abroad. Christian Pulisic first moved from the States when he was under 16 to play for Borussia Dortmund. But it wasn’t until 2019 that Christian Pulisic signed with Premier League club Chelsea worth an estimated £58 million that he would really be thrown into the limelight.

At the time, the transfer made him the highest-paid American athlete in European soccer history, and he immediately stated that he wanted to be able to replicate the success Eden Hazard had had on the team. Many soccer sportsbooks offer betting on Christian Pulisic’s team Chelsea, and there are often some pretty great odds available!

Mason Cox AFL Player

Mason Cox in AHL – this entry may seem strange to you at first, given that Cox is an American-born athlete. However, he does share nationality with Australia, which helps to explain the move. Born in 1991, Cox currently plays as a professional Australian rules footballer for Collingwood.

He plays as a ruckman and key forward and made his AFL debut back in April 2014. Interestingly, Cox also played basketball for Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference – and measuring in at 211 cm, he’s one of the tallest players to have ever played at an AFL Draft Combine.

Cox is from Highland Village, a small suburb of Dallas in Texas. He studied engineering at the Oklahoma State University, and he has close connections with Britney Griner – the recent prisoner who was involved in a prisoner exchange between the US and Russia.

Zack Steffen – EFL Championship

Zack Steffen the American soccer player was born April 2, 1995, and despite his US nationality, he now plays as a goalkeeper for Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship. He’s currently on loan from Manchester City. He also plays for the USMNT.

Zack Steffen’s early career started out with him playing with West Chester United. However, in 2012 he joined the Philadelphia Union, and just one year later he was turning out for the Maryland Terrapins. He left an immediate impression on the club, becoming their star goalkeeper – and just a couple of years later, he joined the German soccer team SC Freiburg.

In 2019, Zack Steffen signed for Manchester City, one of the top clubs in the English Premier League. The transfer fee was worth an estimated $7 million. Just one season later, he was loaned to Fortuna Dusseldorf, before once again returning to play for City the following year. He now plays for Middlesbrough.

In addition to his EPL performances, Zack Steffen was also the starting goalkeeper for the US under-20 side in the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. He also started in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Nigel Williams-Goss – Spanish Liga ACB

Nigel Williams-Goss was born on September 16, 1994, and is an American basketball player. He currently plays for Real Madrid, in the Spanish Liga ACB, as well as the EuroLeague. He was initially chosen by the Utah Jazz in the 2017 NBA draft, as the 55th pick. Before, he played for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, and then spent two seasons playing for the University of Washington’s Huskies, before later deciding to transfer for the 2015-2016 season.

Williams-Goss’ professional career started in 2017, when he signed a three-year deal with Olympiacos – a Greek team who played in the EuroLeague. After this, Nigel Williams-Goss briefly went back to play for the Utah Jazz, before ultimately being signed in 2021 by the Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia. It’s unclear what stance Nigel Williams-Goss will be taking because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine – and whether he’ll continue to play for the Russian side.

Jordan Loyd – AS Monaco

Jordan Loyd is a basketball player born in 1993, and is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Monaco Basket. He also plays in the EuroLeague. In his early life, Jordan Loyd went to Milton High School in Alpharetta, Georgia, and during his time at school, he ended up making a playoff appearance in each of his last two seasons. This included a state championship. Jordan Loyd was chosen as all-conference and the team MVP once he became a senior.

His professional career started in the 2016-2017 season when he was picked to play for the Ford Wayne Mad Ants. He ended up playing a total of 49 games for them, averaging 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

His first move abroad came in 2019 when he signed a deal for one year with Valencia, of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He ended up tying scoring 30 points during his third game with Valencia, which was a career-high, and he also set other personal records, scoring four rebounds, two assists, and three steals in a loss to Barcelona.

In the next three years, he played for Crvena Zvezda, Zenit Saint Petersburg – and on July 16, 2022, he moved to AS Monaco Basket, who participate in the LNB Pro A, as well as the EuroLeague. It’s easy to bet on the team, with most basketball betting sites offering betting opportunities on them.

Tyler Adams – Premier League

Tyler Adams was born February 14, 1999, and is a professional American soccer player who currently plays for Leeds United in the English Premier League. He’s also captain of the USMNT. Tyler Adams plays primarily as a midfielder – although he can also play full-back or winger, on both sides of the defense or midfield. To many, Tyler Adams is considered to be one of the top American soccer players.

Originally, Tyler Adams went to the New York Red Bulls academy. He eventually turned fully professional with the New York Red Bulls II when he was just 16 years of age – and he ended up joining the first team one year later. In January 2019, Tyler Adams signed with RB Leipzig, and three and a half years later, he joined Leeds United – a club that he continues to play for to this day.

His contract with Leeds United was signed for five years, and the reported transfer fee was £20 million. He debuted for the club on 6 August, 2022, when the team ended up winning 2-1 against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Below, we’re going to show you a few other American soccer players who moved abroad to play.