Orlando City continued to polish their roster for their 2015 MLS expansion debut with the signing of Northern Ireland international Martin Paterson on Monday.
The 27-year-old striker joins the Lions on loan from Huddersfield Town of the English Championship (second division), though he has spent much of the current season on loan to Fleetwood Town in League One (third division).
His resume also includes previous stops at Bristol City, Stoke City, Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United and Burnley, where he was the leading scorer in 2009 as the Clarets won promotion to the English Premier League. In five seasons with Burnley, Paterson made 130 appearances – featuring 23 times in the EPL in 2009-10 – and scored 29 goals.
“Martin is an experienced striker who will be a valuable asset for the team and our younger players in particular,” said Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath in a statement. “We’re very pleased to have him with the club for our first season in MLS.”
Born in Tunstall, England, Paterson was eligible to represent both England and Northern Ireland and chose the country of his ancestry. He has scored three goals in 22 appearances at the international level.
