WHEN people on this side of the Atlantic think of football in the United States, the first things that come to mind might be the North American Soccer League (NASL), which in the 1970s or early ’80s featured the likes of Pele, George Best, and Johan Cruyff; or the current high profile division in the country, Major League Soccer (MSL), which has previously attracted players such as David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney.

Maybe we think of the 1994 World Cup, held in the US, or the quirks of soccer such as unusual team names or penalty shootouts with a 35-yard run-up rather than a dead ball shot from 12 yards.

Or, perhaps to the annoyance of many US professionals within the game, we now think of the TV series Ted Lasso.