Tom Cairney will be playing Stateside with Fulham this summer - and it might not be the last time the midfielder suits up across the Atlantic.
Fulham will play against Brentford, Aston Villa and Chelsea in July as it visits the USA off the back of an impressive 10th-place finish in the Premier League.
And while Cairney will be focused on helping his side lay the groundwork for another strong campaign, he admitted exclusively to Mail Sport that the prospect of living and playing in America one day is 'very interesting.'
'Never say never,' he told Mail Sport over Zoom on May 18.
'It could be an amazing experience. I think that's the reason why I'm excited to come [this summer]. I'm excited to see the stadiums, see what it's like, see what the fans are like, the pitches. Because I do find it very interesting, intriguing, the MLS. And it's - I don't know, it's a different way of life. It could be amazing to live out there.
'I feel like it's growing fast,' he added of MLS. 'We see it over here, we see it on the tele, we see it in the mornings as we're having breakfast, the highlights. I feel like it's getting better every year, it's growing. It's gonna be interesting to see how far it does go.'
Despite Fulham's rich history of employing American players, as well as the fact they've been owned by American businessman Shahid Khan since 2013, Cairney has never been to the USA during the preseason in his eight years with the club.
Nonetheless, it'd be foolish to overlook the impact Americans have had on Fulham - both past and present.
Following in the footsteps of Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson were integral pieces of Fulham's stingy defense this year, starting at least 33 games each as Marco Silva's side comfortably avoided the drop in their first season back in the top flight.
And Cairney is excited to visit his teammates' country.
'I think it's nice that we're going there. Not many teams, I suppose, have a lot of history with US players,' he said.
'But Fulham is one of them. We've got two players in the squad right now, two players that play for the USA still. So it's brilliant that we're going there, and hopefully the fans can turn out - probably to see them two, maybe, and then they can jump on board and support us through the season.'
The midfielder also hopes a visit to the Jacksonville Jaguars is in the cards.
Fulham will play in Orlando vs. Villa on July 26 - just a couple hours away from Jacksonville and the NFL franchise that Khan owns.
'It would be interesting to see how they do things, what the training ground's like, facilities, see if we can use them,' Cairney said.
'I wanna see how big the NFL players are!'
When Cairney and Fulham return from their Stateside expedition, they'll be tasked with confirming their Premier League status for a third straight season - a challenge they didn't even get to undertake the last two times they were promoted in 2018 and 2020.
'I think a lot's gone differently,' Cairney said. 'I think the new signings in the summer hit the ground running, they've been very good. I think winning the league the previous year… that gave us more time to plan, and a bit more of a confidence boost [than getting promoted via the play-off] because we won the league.'
Fulham swashbuckled their way to 106 goals and 90 points on their way back to the Premier League but knew reinforcements were still needed to avoid a third relegation in five seasons.
Joao Palhinha's name is now being linked with Manchester United after an impressive debut season in defensive midfield, while Issa Diop, Bernd Leno and Andreas Pereira added Premier League pedigree to the squad. And another ex-London footballer was able to turn back the clock at Craven Cottage.
'I feel like the experience and the youth - getting the mix well is key in any football team,' Cairney said.
'I think we've done that. We brought in Willian who's 34 years old but I mean, he's quality, and his enthusiasm and what he's done in his career is exceptional.'
After a stress-free finish to the season, Cairney will be hoping for a repeat next year.
'If you’re playing catch-up in this league,' he said, 'it’s horrible.’
The Cottagers will look to keep the pace in the USA.