Looking back at it now, there is no shortage of "what ifs" and no shortage of selections that could have ended up on this list in a parallel universe.
Claudio Reyna's time at Manchester City is one, for example, but it was largely marred by injuries. When healthy, the American showed how talented he was at the highest of levels, but he was never quite fit enough during his time in England to do that for a long enough period.
An even bigger "what if" is Stu Holden. During the 2010-11 season, Holden looked like a player who could easily top this list. That year, he had Bolton in the top half of the Premier League and in the FA Cup semifinals, but a horror tackle from Johnny Evans shattered the American's leg, altering the trajectory of his career forever. Despite the injury, Holden was still voted Bolton's Player of the Year that season, further emphasizing how good he was before that injury.
Other players worth shouting out are Jermaine Jones for his time at Schalke, Tyler Adams for his 2022-23 run at Leeds, and Weston McKennie's breakout 2020-21 campaign at Juventus. That said, five campaigns truly stand out.