Orlando City SC have made it official with Sean St. Ledger.
The club announced on Thursday they have signed the Irish international defender after a preseason trial. Per club and league policy, additional terms were not disclosed.
St. Ledger, who also trialed with D.C. United during preseason, is expected to compete with English-American loanee Seb Hines for a spot in the first XI alongside defensive veteran Aurelien Collin. Youngsters Tommy Redding and Conor Donovan are not projected as starters.
The 30-year-old joins Orlando City after playing in more than 190 matches in England for clubs such as Preston North End, Middlesbrough and Leicester City. Additionally, St. Ledger has made 37 appearances for the Irish national team, scoring key goals in international competitions, including 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, 2012 UEFA Euro qualification and 2012 UEFA European Championship.
"We're delighted to have Sean on our roster, as he brings a lot of experience at the club and international level," Orlando head coach Adrian Heath said in a club statement. "He's a very versatile defender who is comfortable playing in several positions along the backline, which is a big bonus for the squad."
St. Ledger – who plays both center back and outside back – began his professional career with Peterbrough United in 2002, appearing in 79 matches in four seasons. In 2006, he transferred to Championship side Preston North End, where he spent the majority of his career.
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He featured in 185 matches for Preston in five years – scoring 10 goals. After his spell with Preston, St. Ledger signed with Leicester in 2013, appearing in 36 matches during a three-year span. Prior to coming to the States, St. Ledger joined Ipswich Town in 2014 for a brief spell.
