Maurice Edu (born April 18, 1986, in Fontana, California) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers and the United States national soccer team.

[edit] Club career

[edit] Maryland Terrapins

Edu was at the University of Maryland, College Park from 2004 until 2006 and played three years for the Maryland Terrapins. He forfeited his final year of NCAA eligibility to enter the 2007 MLS Superdraft as a Generation Adidas player. He was named a first-team All-American in 2006.

[edit] Toronto FC

Edu was drafted by Toronto FC as the first overall pick of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He made his Major League Soccer debut on April 25, 2007, against Kansas City Wizards, and he scored his first professional goal in the seventy-fifth minute of a game against Chicago Fire on May 12. During that first season he made twenty-five appearances in MLS and scored four goals.

He also won the 2007 MLS Rookie of the Year award on November 7, 2007, as voted for by fellow players, coaches, general managers and reporters from the MLS.

[edit] Rangers

On the August 16, 2008, Edu flew to Glasgow to hold talks with Rangers after a fee of £2.6 million, was agreed with MLS.^[1][2] Edu signed a five-year contract with Rangers on August 17, 2008, but had to wait until August 22 to officially join after successfully gaining a work permit.^[3]

Edu made his debut for Rangers in a Scottish Premier League match against Kilmarnock on September 13, 2008. The team won 2-1 thanks to a Kris Boyd double. Edu found first-team opportunities hard to come by, and has played most of his football his first season in the reserves. He scored his first goal for Rangers on April 8, 2009, in a league match against St Mirren and then followed his goal up with another against Hibernian in a 3-2 win at Easter Road 11 days later. He went on a run of games towards the end of the season including making his Old Firm debut against Celtic on May 9 at Ibrox Stadium in a 1-0 Rangers win. He ended his first season in Scottish football by winning the league championship however injury saw him miss out in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final.^[4]

[edit] International career

Edu made his international debut for the United States against Switzerland on October 17, 2007, and won his second cap a month later against South Africa, where he registered an assist on Steve Cherundolo's winning goal. Edu was included in the U.S. team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played in all three of the group matches and deputized as a center back. Edu drew a penalty in the final game of the group stage against Nigeria which Sacha Kljestan took and finished. However, the United states were knocked out of the group stage after that loss.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Club

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League : 1
  

2009

[edit] Individual

• MLS Rookie of the Year Award: 2007

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Maurice Edu career stats at Soccerbase
• MauriceEdu.com Maurice Edu's Official Website
• Maurice Edu profile at USSoccer.com
• Maurice Edu on Twitter

v • d • e United States squad – 2008 Summer Olympics 1 Seitz • 2 Wynne • 3 Orozco • 4 Bradley • 5 McCarty • 6 Edu • 7 Holden • 8 Szetela • 9 Davies • 10 Feilhaber • 11 Adu • 12 Altidore • 13 Ianni • 14 Rogers • 15 Parkhurst • 16 Kljestan • 17 McBride • 18 Guzan • Coach: Nowak