 Edu in 2025 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maurice Edu[1] | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1986-04-18)April 18, 1986 (age 39) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Fontana, California, United States | |||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,defender | |||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Maryland Terrapins | 55 | (10) | |||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Toronto FC | 38 | (5) | |||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Rangers | 96 | (9) | |||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Stoke City | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2013 | →Bursaspor (loan) | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2014 | →Philadelphia Union (loan) | 31 | (3) | |||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Philadelphia Union | 22 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | →Bethlehem Steel (loan) | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Total | 205 | (18) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | United States U23 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2007–2014 | United States | 46 | (1) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Maurice Edu (born April 18, 1986) is an Americansoccer commentator and former professional player.
Edu was the first overall pick in the2007 MLS SuperDraft and won theMLS Rookie of the Year Award withToronto. His performances for Toronto earned him international call ups to theUnited States national team and the attention of clubs in Europe.
He signed withRangers, winning theScottish Premier League three times. Following Rangers' financial problems, he joinedStoke City; however, failing to make an impact, he spent time on loan with Turkey'sBursaspor before returning to MLS withPhiladelphia Union.
He currently commentates forMLS Season Pass onApple TV, as well asFox Sports' coverage of the2022 FIFA World Cup.[2] He also has worked onAtlanta United's local TV broadcasts.[3]
Edu was born and raised inFontana, California. Edu played college soccer at theUniversity of Maryland, College Park from 2004 until 2006 and played three years for theMaryland Terrapins, including a role on the 2005 squad that won theNCAACollege Cup national championship. He forfeited his final year of NCAA eligibility to enter the2007 MLS SuperDraft as aGeneration Adidas player. He was named afirst-team All-American in 2006.
Edu cut short his time at college to joinMajor League Soccer and was drafted byToronto as the first overall pick of the2007 MLS SuperDraft. He made his MLS debut on April 25, 2007, againstKansas City Wizards, and he scored his first professional goal in the seventy-fifth minute of a game againstChicago Fire on May 12. During that first season he made twenty-five appearances in MLS and scored four goals. He ended his debut season by winning theMLS Rookie of the Year award and earning his first senior national team cap.
On August 16, 2008, Edu flew toGlasgow to hold talks withScottish Premier League teamRangers after a fee of £2.6 million, was agreed with MLS.[4][5] Edu signed a five-year contract with Rangers on August 17, 2008, but had to wait until five days later to officially join after successfully gaining awork permit.[6]
Edu made his debut for Rangers in a league match againstKilmarnock on September 13, 2008. The team won 2–1 thanks to aKris Boyd double. Edu scored his first goal for Rangers on April 8, 2009, in a league match againstSt Mirren and then followed his goal up with another againstHibernian in a 3–2 win atEaster Road eleven days later. He went on a run of games towards the end of the season including hisOld Firm debut against Celtic on May 9 atIbrox in a 1–0 Rangers win. He ended his first season in Scottish soccer by winning a league championship medal – having played in twelve of Rangers' thirty-eight games in the2008–09 SPL season. However, a torn cruciate knee ligament saw him miss out on theScottish Cup final.
After recovering from his injury, Edu returned for Rangers as a 74th-minute substitute in a 4–1 win against Hibernian on December 27, 2009, but only played four games before being sidelined for another month with an ankle problem. He had complained of racist abuse from two Rangers supporters after the club's 4–1 home defeat toFC Unirea Urziceni in October 2009.[7] Rangers came to the defense for Edu, condemning the Rangers supporters as 'moronic' and 'disgusting'.[8]
A turnaround in his fortunes began when he came off the bench to score a 93rd minute stoppage-time winner againstOld Firm rivalsCeltic on February 28, 2010, as Rangers won 1–0. On March 21, 2010, Edu came on as a half-time substitute when Rangers beat St Mirren to win theLeague Cup Final. His domestic season ended with him being awarded a second league medal having appeared in fifteen of the thirty-eight games. During the 2010–11 season, Edu made his Champions League debut against English giantsManchester United at Old Trafford and drew plaudits for his performance.[9]
On October 20, 2010, he scored his first Champions League goal against Spanish sideValencia, converting from aVladimír Weiss corner, but scored an own goal to equalize for Valencia minutes after the restart in a game that finished 1–1.[10] After the match, Edu told Sky Sports that he has a mixed emotion and said
The first goal I didn't have time to celebrate because I took a knock on the head and was laid on the ground for a while. The own goal, I saw it late and the next thing I know it hit me and it was in. I was trying to mark the guy in front of me and it looked like he was going to get it and at the last minute it hit me. That was obviously disappointing but we kept going and created more chances.[11]
Edu made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Rangers on November 5, 2011, in their 3–1 win overDundee United.[12] During the season, Rangers where placed into administration over financial problems and a dispute with HMRC, leading a 10-point deduction. As months passed, managerAlly McCoist announced Edu andAlejandro Bedoya would possibly both leave the club[13] Edu was linked with a move toIpswich Town but both claims was denied from the club[14] and himself, claiming he was unaware with a move to Ipswich.[15]
Edu joinedPremier League sideStoke City on August 25, 2012, signing a three-year contract.[16] Following the move Edu revealed it was a 'dream come true' to sign for a Premier League side.[17] He had to wait until October 7 before he made his debut for Stoke coming on as an 80th-minute substitute in a 0–0 draw atLiverpool.[18] That 10-minute cameo proved to be Edu's only appearance for Stoke in2012–13 underTony Pulis. He had hopes for a fresh start under new managerMark Hughes,[19] but Edu did not make any appearances or even appear on the bench for Stoke under the new manager.
After failing to break into the first team at theBritannia Stadium, Edu joined TurkishSüper Lig sideBursaspor on loan until the end of the 2012–13 season.[20] He played 12 times for Bursaspor as they finished in 4th position.
On January 27, 2014, Edu joinedPhiladelphia Union on loan for the2014 Major League Soccer season with an option to buy.[21] On April 5, Edu scored his first goal for the Union in a 2–2 draw against Chicago Fire. During the2014 U.S. Open Cup Final, Edu scored a critical goal that put the Union in the lead 1–0, but they ultimately lost in extra time.[22]
Edu made his move to Philadelphia permanent in January 2015.[23] Despite his position as a holding midfielder, Edu was often deployed as a centerback during most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons; benefiting from his long range passing and technical ability on the ball.[24] In late September 2015, Edu suffered a groin muscle injury that kept him out for the remainder of the2015 season.
Upon recovery from the groin injury, Edu further suffered a stress fracture in his left leg, leaving him sidelined for the entirety of the2016 season.[25] While he did not make any first-team appearances in 2016 due to injury recovery, he made three appearances for the Union'sUSL affiliate,Bethlehem Steel FC.[26] Similarly for the2017 season, Edu would only make spot appearances for Steel FC and see no first team minutes during his injury recovery.
Edu was released from the Union at the conclusion of his contract after the 2017 season.[27] He trained on trial in the off-season withLos Angeles FC, but no contract was agreed to.[28]
Edu made his international debut for theUnited States againstSwitzerland on October 17, 2007, and won his second cap a month later againstSouth Africa, where he registered an assist onSteve Cherundolo's winning goal. Edu was included in the U.S. team for the2008 Summer Olympics. He played in all three of the group matches and deputized as a center back. Edu drew a penalty in the final game of the group stage against Nigeria whichSacha Kljestan took and finished. However, the U.S. were knocked out of the group stage after that loss. Edu scored his first international goal for the U.S. during a friendly against Czech Republic on May 25, 2010.
Edu made only one brief appearance for the national team in 2009, as a stoppage-time substitute in a World Cup qualifier against El Salvador. That was his solitary game in the final stage of qualifying for South Africa. Despite this, he was selected as a member of the 23-man roster for the2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On June 18, againstSlovenia, he volleyed in a free kick fromLandon Donovan in the 85th minute with the game tied at 2–2, but refereeKoman Coulibaly disallowed the goal. Coulibaly's decision was heavily criticized by commentators and columnists who believed the United States committed no fouls on the play and were the ones being fouled for the most part.[29][30][31][32]
Edu continued to make appearances underJürgen Klinsmann during 2011 and 2012. His appearances with the national team then diminished.
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Toronto | 2007 | Major League Soccer | 25 | 4 | – | – | – | 25 | 4 | |||
| 2008 | Major League Soccer | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 16 | 2 | |||
| Total | 38 | 5 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 41 | 6 | ||||
| Rangers | 2008–09 | Scottish Premier League | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | Scottish Premier League | 15 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League | 33 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8[c] | 2 | 47 | 5 | |
| 2011–12 | Scottish Premier League | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[d] | 0 | 42 | 3 | |
| Total | 96 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 125 | 12 | ||
| Stoke City | 2012–13 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Bursaspor (loan) | 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 13 | 0 | ||
| Philadelphia Union (loan) | 2014 | Major League Soccer | 31 | 3 | 5 | 2 | – | – | 36 | 5 | ||
| Philadelphia Union | 2015 | Major League Soccer | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Major League Soccer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | Major League Soccer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 53 | 4 | 10 | 2 | – | – | 63 | 6 | ||||
| Bethlehem Steel | 2016 | United Soccer League | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | United Soccer League | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | |||||
| Career Total | 205 | 20 | 27 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 249 | 26 | ||
Edu is the son of Nigerian immigrant parents. His father, Maurice Sr., was a mathematics teacher, and his mother is a chemistry teacher.[34] He has a younger brother Reggie Edu, who is a teacher, coach and director of coaching for the southern Californian youth soccer club Newcastle United FC out ofUpland, California, and three older sisters.[35]
Edu featured alongsideGuillermo Ochoa andRonaldinho as one of theFIFA 09 cover stars in North America.[36]
Rangers
Individual
United States squads | |||||||||||||||||||
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