The other thing that many players who have been to Europe talk about is how much they enjoyed the culture of football there. So much different than here. That and the intensity seems to be ratcheted up a notch over there. Something you hear quite a few players talk about when they come back to the States. With so many good players and deep benches, every practice matters. Those are good qualities to learn and come back with.

I think US players go to Europe, not because the quality of play in the 2nd or 3rd divisions is higher than USL 1, but simply because there is more opportunity for the players to advance their careers. With relegation and promotion, everyone pays more attention to the “lower” divisions than they do here. That’s my .02 at least.