Defender DeAndre Yedlin, the best local product produced by the club, finalized his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League. Seattle and Tottenham agreed to the deal Aug. 13 and Yedlin will complete his move to North London during the January transfer window.
“We are extremely proud of what DeAndre accomplished during his time in Seattle and we wish him every success in the next step of his career,” said Sounders owner and GM Adrian Hanauer said in a press release/
“DeAndre will always be a member of the Sounders FC family, and as our first Homegrown Player, he is now a global ambassador for our club and our region. DeAndre is a special player and we look forward to watching him progress in his career at Tottenham.”
Signed as Seattle’s first Homegrown Player Jan. 11, 2013, Yedlin earned MLS All-Star accolades in each of his two MLS seasons and represented the U.S. Men’s National Team in the World Cup in Brazil, making three appearances in the summer tournament.
The 21-year-old Yedlin became the first MLS Homegrown player to represent the U.S. National Team at the World Cup, and was one of seven players to make at least 10 appearances for the USMNT in 2014. Earlier this month, U.S. Soccer named Yedlin its 2014 Young Male Athlete of the Year.
“I’m very excited for DeAndre and the opportunity that awaits him at Tottenham in the Barclays Premier League,” said Sounders coach Sigi Schmid. “We’re proud of what he’s accomplished here in Seattle and what he’s meant to our team in a short period of time.”
The Seattle native started all 25 of his MLS regular season appearances in 2014 and recorded a career-high four assists. He was voted onto the All-Star Best XI and helped the Sounders win the U.S. Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield.
During his first season with the Sounders, he led the team with 31 appearances and 2,710 minutes, becoming the first rookie player since Michael Parkhurst in 2005 to make the MLS All-Star team.
Yedlin grew up in Shoreline, where he played youth soccer for Emerald City, Northwest Nationals and Crossfire. He attended O’Dea High School and was a member of the inaugural Sounders FC Academy class. Yedlin was a two-time All-MAC First Team honoree at Akron University in Ohio, recording six assists in 45 appearances over two seasons.
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An exciting time right now for Yedlin to be sure. It’s now established that his play is right there with some of the world’s best. Mixed feelings though because it means his Sounder career is over. Best wishes in his future endeavors.