Brian McBride
Brian McBride (June 19, 1972 in Arlington Heights, Illinois) is an American soccer player.
McBride currently plays forward for Fulham F.C. of the English Premier League, who bought him from Major League Soccer on January 19, 2004. Before joining Fulham, McBride had previously played in the Premier League for Everton F.C. in 2002, and Preston North End in 2000. Before that, McBride played for VfL Wolfsburg of the Bundesliga (football) and, most notably, for the Columbus Crew, for whom he was a fan favorite.
After an illustrious career with St. Louis University, from which he graduated in 1993, McBride briefly played for the minor league Milwaukee Rampage before leaving the United States to ply his trade overseas. McBride returned to America in 1996 for the inaugural season of Major League Soccer, for whom he was the first overall pick in the expansion draft. McBride would proceed to play eight years with the Columbus Crew, amassing 62 goals and 45 assists in 161 league games, before his move to England.
McBride is also a significant player for the United States men's national soccer team, with whom he made his debut in 1993. McBride has played 81 games and scored 25 goals for the national team, and perhaps most importantly played and scored goals in both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
