Harambee stars midfielder Richard Odada has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with American and Major League Soccer (MLS) side Philadelphia Union.
The defensive midfielder has signed a contract for the 2020 Supporters Shield champions with an option for a third and fourth year in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee.
The 2022 MLS season is currently underway but the player is yet to be added to the club’s roster as they are still waiting for his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa.
“Richard is a holding midfielder with positional versatility and a great potential to be a valuable contributor as we continue to develop our roster,” said Philadelphia Union Sporting Director, Ernst Tanner.
The Sporting Director went on to explain why they signed the 21-year-old, specifically mentioning his height, speed and physicality as the overall attributes the club was looking for.
“He can play multiple midfield roles as well as center back, and he has the height, speed and physicality we were searching for. We look forward to integrating him this year and encouraging his development for the future,” concluded Tanner.
Odada made his debut for Harambee Stars on September 2, 2021, when he played against neighbours Uganda during the World Cup Qualifier. Odada later scored his first international goal on November 15, 2021, in a 2-1 win against Rwanda.
At the club level, the 6’3 midfielder has made several appearances for several European clubs. He joins Union from the Serbian first-tier side, Red Star Belgrade where he made only two appearances.
In 2020, Belgrade agreed to a loan deal with fellow Serbian club, RFK Grafičar Beograd where he made three assists in 25 appearances.
In 2021, Odada was again sent on loan to another Serbian side, Metalac Gornji Milanovac, where he made 27 appearances before going back to Beograd in 2022.
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