Oguchi Onyewu, fondly called ‘Gooch’ by fans, signed a three-year contract with A.C. Milan and will be playing as a centerback.  He had garnered quite a bit of interest during his performance in the Confederations Cup in South Africa and several European clubs had shown a marked interest. Onyewu has a European Union passport as he has been playing for four seasons in Belgium for Standard Liege.

Onyewu’s parents moved to the U.S. from Nigeria and he grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and then Olney, Maryland where he played soccer in school.  He was voted U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year on December 26, 2006 and was the first defender to earn the award since Alexi Lalas in 1995.  He played for the U.S. in the FIFA World Cup 2006, and then played exceptionally well in the 2009 Confederations Cup match against Egypt, and was crucial in the victory against Spain in the same competition.  His stats are impressive and A.C. Milan is looking to reap the rewards of signing a great player to their roster.