No, this is not about taking that civil engineering degree overseas.

Still thinking about the Clint Dempsey move from Tottenham to the Seattle Sounders. Giving up a very prominent club for one hardly known inside the U.S. — even if the Sounders have great fans.

So, mulling this a bit more, and I decided to slap together a list of the 10 Yanks who had the most successful careers outside the U.S.

This is, obviously, a personal sense of this. It hinges on two factors, primarily — success as gauged by the success of a guy within a team, and then success of a guy independent of how good the team was. That is, having a prominent role on a not-so-prominent team.

As usual, I will do this from 10 to 1, David Letterman Style.

10. Cle Kooiman. A guy who seems almost forgotten because the bulk of his career came before the internet was really going strong. He went to Mexico in 1990 and later played for two strong Mexican league franchises, Cruz Azul and Morelia. And, get this: He wore the captain’s armband for Cruz Azul, in 1994. The first American to do so in Mexico’s top flight. Remember, this is back when Mexico was convinced Americans couldn’t play the game — and they were pretty much right.

9. Jozy Altidore. The big forward, still only 25, certainly has gotten around, and now finds himself back in the Premier League. Villarreal of the Spanish top flight paid an MLS-record $10 million transfer fee for him in 2008, and in November he became the first American to score in a La Liga match. But he struggled, and was loaned to Xerez of the second division, then to Hull City of the Premier League (more struggling), and then was out of contract for half a year before going to the Turkish side Bursaspor, then on the Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in 2011 for two seasons, and he blossomed, finally, scoring 51 goals in 93 games for a solid club, a performance which earned him a return to the Premier League this season, with Sunderland.

8. Carlos Bocanegra. The sturdy defender had a long run overseas, and succeeded at several stops, including 4.5 seasons (and 123 games) with Fulham in the English Premier League, followed by time at the French clubs Rennes and St. Etienne, then at Rangers (of Glasgow) and Racing Santander, a second-division Spanish team. He was a regular throughout, and it all contributed to a long stretch with the national team, sometimes as captain. Four countries, 296 matches in Europe over 8.5 years. Now back in MLS with Chivas.

7. Steve Cherundolo. The little right back signed with Hannover 96 in 1998, straight out of college, when the club was in Germany’s second division. Cherundolo is still there, 15 years later, steady and unspectacular, now captain of the side and sometimes referred to as the Mayor of Hanover for his prominent role with the team and the city. He was a key contributor to the club’s recent successes, which include 10 consecutive seasons in the top flight, a club-best fourth-place finish in 2011 and two years in the Europa League, including a quarter-final run in 2011 and a round-of-32 push in 2012. A rare example of a U.S. international who never played a game in MLS.

6. Tim Howard. The goalkeeper signed with Manchester United in 2003, when he was 24, and was Alex Ferguson’s starter for much of the 2003-04 season until his poor effort on a Porto goal that knocked ManU out of the Champions League cost him his job — though he did play for United in their FA Cup championship victory, 3-0 over Millwall, in May of 2004, making him the first Yank to play on a winning team in England’s oldest competition. He was a backup for two seasons before going to Everton, also of the Premier League, on loan in 2006, a move which became permanent, and he has been a stalwart for the perennial mid-table team since. In all, 305 Premier League games over 10 seasons, and one goal.

5. Kasey Keller. The first American to make a mark in England as a goalkeeper (in 1992-93), and several would follow. He won a place with Millwall, who “boast” perhaps the roughest fans in England, and the fans loved him, and for good reason — he was very good. A lithe and limber player, and very bright, he lasted a good long time. After Millwall came three years at Leicester City, where he was on the pitch for a League Cup championship in 1997. He was the primary keeper for a Spanish league top-flight team, Rayo Vallecano, for two seasons, returned to England and was Tottenham’s No. 1 for two seasons, beginning 2002-03. He then went to Borussia Monchengladbach for a season, was the captain there in 2006-07, and played one last stretch in England, with Fulham, the following season. By far the most eclectic career in Europe, playing for three of the “big five” leagues.

4. John Harkes. He ranks this high mostly because he was a pioneer in this “playing overseas” thing. He had two seasons with Sheffield Wednesday, the second (1991-92) in the top flight in what had, that season, been re-branded the Premier League. (Remember, the early 1990s rates as pre-history, still, for U.S. soccer.) He was the first Yank to score in the Premier League, and the second to score in Wembley (after some guy named Bill Regan, for a club named Romford, 45 years earlier) — during Wednesday’s upset of Manchester United in the League Cup final. Didn’t have a long career overseas, nor did he score much, but he had to be pretty good just to keep the Brits from laughing him off the pitch. Convinced people that maybe some of the Yanks could play.

3. Brad Friedel. Twelve consecutive seasons in the Premier League, 15 overall, including three (though nominally the backup) with Liverpool back (1997-2000) when Liverpool was still Liverpool.He had a lot to do with Blackburn staying in the Premier League as long as it did, went to Villa Park and was good and durable. He holds the Premier League record for most consecutive league appearances, with 310. That may last for a while. Even scored a goal, while at Blackburn. Hanging on, now, with Tottenham.

2. Brian McBride. The first Yank to go to England and score goals with any sort of frequency, and the most valued players in the game are the guys who tickle the onion bag. (Sorry for channeling Tommy Smyth there.) In two seasons, and parts of three others, he scored 37 Premier League goals, 33 of them for Fulham. He was chosen Fulham’s best player in 2005 and 2006. This happened nearly a decade ago. Impressive.

1. Clint Dempsey. He did six-plus seasons in the world’s most competitive league, the English Premier League, and he was good at it. Very good at it. He scored 62 goals in the league, playing for Fulham and Tottenham, including 23 for the Cottagers in the 2011-12 season. Again, the guys who score are the players everyone wants, and no one scored as many goals at such a lofty level as did Clint Dempsey.