Ex- Real Madrid and Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain has told Luis Suarez that playing in the MLS is not easy as speculation continues to grow over a potential Stateside switch for the Uruguayan international.
Major League Soccer in the United States has for some time been viewed as a retirement home for old superstars looking to see out the twilight of their playing days the other side of the pond.
Higuain currently plies his trade for the recently formed Inter Miami and has drastically underwhelmed since his arrival, but has admitted his assumptions of the division were wrong.
"I thought that I would come here with a cigar in my mouth, but it is difficult," Higuain told Christian Vieri during a Twitch stream interview. "It is a hard league. I learnt that it is similar to Serie A." A stern warning for Suarez, who continues to be linked with Higuain's side Inter Miami.
Suarez has previously addressed the idea of playing in the States, claiming the lack of fanfare he would get could be a positive. "The other day I was walking through San Francisco and people did not know me," he told ESPN Deportes. "The country is very big, football isn't the main sport and you can be more relaxed. It is not a bad option."
With that being said, Mirror Football has taken a look at six other stars who thought they would try their hand in America only to return or retire with their tails between their legs.
Steven Gerrard
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Few can even fathom the idea of a man who was so comfortably one of the Premier League's greatest ever midfielders struggling to adapt to the MLS, but the Liverpool icon fell well short of expectations while at LA Galaxy.
Having joined in 2015 on an 18-month contract that saw him pocket $9million a year, Gerrard mustered up a feeble return of 5 goals in 39 appearances for the Galaxy.
Both of his seasons with the club ended trophy-less while he missed a number of fixtures through injury as his body appeared to let him down as his playing career neared its end. The former England skipper has since admitted he regrets making the move and would have preferred to play under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
Frank Lampard
Two English midfielders that notoriously found it difficult to play together clearly both struggled in America as Lampard joins his former Three Lions teammate on this list.
Much of his time with New York City FC actually mirrors Gerrard's in Los Angeles as Lampard also struggled to shake off persistent injuries during his time in 'the big apple'.
The Chelsea legend left New York with even less appearances under his belt than Gerrard, featuring in just 31 fixtures - though he did become the first player in NYCFC history to score a hat-trick when he hit three against the Colorado Rapids.
Kaka
The MLS even managed to get the best of a former Ballon d'Or winner in Brazilian icon Kaka. The mercurial midfielder spent three seasons with Orlando City after penning a contract with the Florida-based club that made him the highest paid player in the division.
Given the fact that Kaka was once the world's most expensive player upon joining the world's biggest club in Real Madrid, expectations were high. His time in the MLS is difficult to judge given personally he returned some respectable numbers.
Across his entire stint, he recorded 24 goals and 22 assists in 75 matches but that failed to translate into team success. Orlando City never once finished higher than 14th throughout Kaka's stay, an underwhelming record - especially as club captain.
Freddie Ljungberg
The Arsenal legend actually plied his trade for two separate MLS outfits during his time in America having initially joined the Seattle Sounders for their inaugural season in the league before signing for Chicago Fire.
Things actually started brightly in Seattle, but as is a common theme among these ageing stars - injuries started to play their part. Ljungberg was one of the few players to actually attract interest from European clubs while playing out in America and sure enough - he eventually returned to the continent.
In late 2010, he joined Scottish giants Celtic - calling time on two campaigns in the MLS with two different sides that left plenty to be desired.
Jermain Defoe
After plenty of years with many different English sides, the story goes that Rap superstar Drake actually got involved to try and bring Defoe to Canadian city Toronto.
The move saw Defoe leave Tottenham and pen a four-year contract with Toronto FC - yet he lasted for just one before calling it quits and returning to England with Sunderland.
His return of 11 goals in 19 matches for the Canadian outfit was a respectable tally, but the fact he upped sticks out of the MLS as quickly as he came is what seals his place on this list.
Mikael Silvestre
A Premier League winner, with both Manchester United and Arsenal on his CV - yet the former French international still went through the trial process with both the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers.
A deal to bring Silvestre to the Timbers eventually went through and backfired almost instantly after yet again this ageing talent suffered a huge injury set-back.
The ex-Old Trafford star tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament just eight games into his Timbers career and missed the remainder of that season in 2013. He would never feature again for the club, who ended up finishing first in the Western Conference that year as Silvestre spent the bulk of his time on the treatment table.
