Fulham captain Brian McBride isn't surprised by the number of Americans now playing in the Premiership.

At the last count there were 13 Americans at Premier League clubs, a fact that the 95 times capped US international attributes to both the rising standards of the MLS, and the Premier League's willingness to consider players from previously relatively untouched territories.

"It has to do with both," he told fulhamfc.com. "But players before me laid the groundwork for it. Kasey [Keller] is one of those and you had John Harkes, Brad Friedel and Claudio Reyna, they all basically opened doors for the rest of us, and a as a player I think if you get the door opened you've got to take the chance. Fortunately soccer in the States has been growing, not just in popularity, but in quality too."