Sporting Kansas City has signed 28-year-old defender Marcel de Jong, the club announced on Monday.
A member of the Canadian Men’s National Team, de Jong will occupy an international roster spot pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa.
“We continue to look to add experience in the players joining our roster,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “Marcel’s time in the German Bundesliga and with the Canadian Men’s National Team will bring excellent experience to the team.”
“I am happy to be here and I am looking forward to a great season with Sporting Kansas City,” de Jong said. “I hope that we can do well and achieve our goals.”
De Jong has 31 appearances for Canada with two goals since his international debut at age 21 in 2007. He has represented his country at each of the past three CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments, as well as in 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
A dual citizen of Canada and Netherlands, de Jong began his youth career with PSV Eindhoven before signing professionally with Helmond Sport in 2004. After two years in the Dutch second division – and scoring against Italy at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands – de Jong joined Roda JC in the top flight Eredivisie in 2006.
De Jong made the move to Germany following four seasons with the Miners, highlighted by a run to the 2007-08 KNVB Cup final, when he signed with FC Augsburg in 2010. His initial season with FCA culminated with promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time since the team was founded in 1907 and the club maintained first division status for each of the past four campaigns.
In total, de Jong has logged more than 225 club appearances over his past 10 professional seasons in Netherlands and Germany. He joined Sporting Kansas City on trial last month for the second leg of the team’s 2015 preseason in Tucson, Ariz., and appeared in four matches at outside back.
Sporting Kansas City will kick off the team’s 20th season at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Sporting Park in a nationally televised match against the New York Red Bulls on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes. Single-game tickets are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com for the club’s first 10 of 17 regular season home matches in 2015 while available.
– Story from Sporting KC