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Edu joins Stoke City

MauriceEdu (ISIPhotos.com)

Maurice Edu has found a new home and when he gets there he will see a familiar face.

The U.S. national team midfielder/defender has signed with English Premier League squad Stoke City, agreeing to personal terms with the club on Saturday. He joins the Potters just as U.S. teammate Geoff Cameron is set to finally join Stoke after completing all the paperwork for his own transfer.

Edu leaves Glasgow Rangers after four seasons with the club, departing after the financial meltdown that led to the team's bankruptcy and demotion to the Scottish third division.

Once he completes his physical, and secures a UK work permit, Edu will join a Stoke City side where he will battle for playing time in central midfield, and potentially on defense as well. (For those asking, his work permit from Rangers apparently does not carry over, but he should have no problem securing one with Stoke.)

"Maurice is not only a good player and a good athlete, but also versatile," Stoke manager Tony Pulis said. "It's important we have players who can slot into more than one position this season because the squad will be smaller if we move a few on."

Edu signed a three-year contract with Stoke City, and is set to move on a free transfer if FIFA, as expected, rules that Rangers' bankrupty has voided the final remaining year on his contract with the Scottish club.

What do you think of Edu joining Stoke? See him and Cameron potentially forming a partnership with the Potters? Think Edu will do well in the Premier League?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I think the key line was mention of Edu’s versatility. He’s a player who can provide cover at 4 positions, and that’s not a common trait. That alone guarantees him a spot in match day squads, even if he isn’t starting.

    Every manager likes to have a ‘utility player’ who can and will pull a shift anywhere he’s needed. Edu, to his credit, is capable of that. And while I think he may not be First XI anywhere in their squad, he’ll be on the pitch regularly, both for squad rotation and as a sub,

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  2. I think every DCU fan remembers Stokes. Cameron and Edu paring would be amazing. Its possible. But they will have to be playing over their heads versus the top EPL teams. Though I have the confidence they could do it.

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  3. Klinny has said, on record, that he prefer players who are playing. It doesn’t do Edu any good to sit on the bench. I honestly don’t think he belongs in the EPL, just my opinion. He should have been looking to France.

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  4. The Mexico game surely was the tipping point.

    Stoke, Everton and Schalke all had interest in Cameron before watching him have a stinker against FCD.

    Schalke bailed, Everton prioritized, but Stoke didn’t give up.

    A few weeks later, Cameron runs rampant on DC and suddenly Everton’s interested again, but can’t submit a bid because Stoke’s already gotten him to agree to terms.

    So, yeah, individual games do play a bigger role than you think. Mo’s above average showing against Mexico (who has the world’s attention at the moment) definitely played a part.

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  5. Everybody complains about Edu because:

    1. They are shortsighted and can only focus on his late 2011 slump.
    2. Though he’s hit some beautiful goals from distance, he had at least three memorable whiffs for the USMNT & Rangers in a short span
    3. Rangers fans are racists, and I’m completely serious.

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  6. Edu is an athlete..he has good fitness. But he lacks in soccer IQ and technical ability. His first touch is pretty poor.

    He’ll probably be a squad player at Stoke

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  7. huh?! Unfortunate you took that quote to imply that. I think edu can earn a starting spot for this team in midfield once he adapts to the speed of play in the premier league. he’s better than alot people give him credit for and i certainly don’t see anybody on stoke’s roster that screams indispensible or cannot be supplanted by someone else. Let’s not forget edu has a serious engine, can cover ground, score goals and his passing is underrated

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  8. There’s been a lot of transfer rumors surrounding Shawcross. QPR and Liverpool I think. Pulis hinted at “moving people on.” Maybe one of our boys will be starting in central defense sooner than we think. One can only hope.

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  9. I agree with you, cj. A good showing in international competition can be the tipping point to convince a team to sigh. Klinsmann deserves huge amount of credit for calling up Edu although he was not playing pre-season or early season and taking the huge risk of pairing him with Cameron so Pulis could see Edu’s versatility. Maybe Pulis would have pulled the trigger on Edu without the good Mexico showing, but maybe not. In any case, it didn’t hurt. I am an Edu fan and happy for the guy. (Rangers, though, derserve the measly 300,000 transfer fee that was in Edu’s release clause. Hard to believe that Stoke is trying to weasel out that.)

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  10. No not at all. I am sure that they have more film on him than I have seen. However, by JK taking the chance to show his versatility in Mexico did not hurt him. I am sure soccer clubs are no different than MLB, NFL, or NBA teams. Sometimes one good performance in a high profile place does more good than a thousand performances in decent places. Also, playing in SPL is not like playing against Italy, France, Mexico, Brazil. His improved performances did not hurt him at all, prior to Mexico it was presummed he was going to Champions League. Did he get it because of those friendlies, nope but it definetly helped more than hurt him.

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  11. I’m sure all players have a profile somewhere with all aspects of their game. In Edu case is a combo of Rangers play with some USA play, if anything it shows he can be a versatile player. Is he going to start? probably NOT, some stars need to line up for us to see Cameron and Edu on the pitch at the same time outside of a USA game.

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  12. Are you suggesting that Edu came to the notice of EPL managers because of recent friendlies? I’m not a betting man, but dollars to donuts says that they know him better from being a regular starter at Rangers than they do from him appearing in a few meaningless USA friendlies.

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  13. From the linked article, the USMNT midfield factory keeps cranking them out…

    “Edu’s signing will further shake up a Stoke midfield already set to feature Cameron for the first time against Arsenal tomorrow.”

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  14. This shows that Klinnsmann having the USMNT play top tier talent on the road is paying off. Edu’s play against Mexico and all the friendlies in July allowed for him to get this opportunity. Now it is up to these two to earn the right to play a prominent role for the USA and Stoke City. But, this is a great thing for US soccer, to bad Timmy Howard was not their keeper lol.

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  15. If Pulis did not think Edu and Cameron had at least some sort of shot at starting, why would he waste a lot of time and effort to bring them in?

    Pulis clearly believes they both have the talent; whether it will all work out is something that only time will tell.

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  16. Come on, it’s Edu and Cameron. Everybody complains about Edu and Cameron is a newcomer. I don’t get why everyone is expecting them to be immediate starters for the Nats just because of the Mexico win. Our Yanks need to be out there fighting the likes of Shawcross for playing time and beating them out. Then we will know we have quality back there. Otherwise, Boca’s starting partner will be an in-form second-tier player that is actually playing…until Cameron and Edu can force their way into a lineup. If they can’t, then let’s move on!

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  17. I should feel the same way but our NATS regulars have exceeded my expectations the last couple of years at mid-level clubs. I think we’ve come far enough that the American stigma is mostly gone unless they are being compared to top-10 country players.

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  18. True, shawcross, a cb, is their captain so i wouldnt expect 2 new cbs to play. Mo will in direct competition with wilson palacios (hon) and camron (usa) for pt off the bench Or possibly Spot starting at cb or cdm

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  19. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don’t see this going well, mark my words. With the crowded backline I don’t think he will get much playing time. Perhaps he’ll be a bench player.

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  20. This! To have our potential starting MNT CBs paired together week in and week out against BPL teams would be absolutely huge.

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  21. Dear Stoke, please pair Edu and Cameron together as your CB’s.

    Sincerely,
    Every Nats Fan

    In all seriousness, hopefully one doesn’t keep the other on the bench. I thought I heard somewhere that Stoke wanted to use Cameron as a DM. However, the comment about “versatility” does suggest Edu may find himself elsewhere besides the midfield, at least some of the time.

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  22. Dumb question, wouldn’t he already have a UK work permit if he played at Rangers?

    (SBI-It either has to do with him moving between countries in the UK, or him changing clubs, or both. Either way, he should be fine.)

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