WASHINGTON, January 11, 2012 - American midfielder Robbie Rogers has signed a contract with English second-tier club Leeds United pending his securing a British work permit.
The 24-year-old Rogers is available on a free transfer after his contract with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew ended at the close of the 2011 season. Rogers impressed Leeds head coach Simon Grayson during a recent trial.
Rogers might have trouble getting a permit to work in Britain because he has not played at least 75 percent of the competitive matches for the U.S. national team in the last two years. The former University of Maryland player has played 18 times for the U.S. team and appears to be in American team coach Jurgen Klinsmann's plans for the future.
"As soon as the work permit business is complete, he will be an immediate part of our plans and have an opportunity with the first team," said Grayson on the Leeds website.
Rogers played 106 games for the Crew scoring 13 goals. In 2007 he signed with the Dutch club Heerenveen but did not make any appearances in a game.
Leeds sits in the eight spot in the 24-team Championship table, just one point out of the playoffs. The club has won three top division English titles, the last being the 1991-1992 season, which was the final league championship before the creation of the Premier League.
Leeds won the F.A. Cup in 1972. In 2007 the club sunk into the third-tier of English soccer for the first time.
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