South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Stoke City player signed
Former team captain Shawcross will offer depth at center back
Center back reinforcement has arrived for Inter Miami CF, with Ryan Shawcross officially signing with the club after the sides were rumored to be in talks for the past few weeks.
Shawcross, 33, had been a key fixture for Stoke City after permanently transferring to the English club from Manchester United in January 2008.
He made more than 450 appearances with Stoke City, led the team to the 2011 FA Cup Final and helped get them promoted to the Premier League entering the 2008-09 season.
But after a mutual agreement to terminate his contract with Stoke City on Friday, Shawcross will play for a team outside of Europe for the first time in his career.
“[There] are so many different aspects of it,” Shawcross said when asked why he wanted to join Inter Miami. “You’ve got ownership that’s built a new club. You’ve got a new manager.
“It’s something that really interested me — the opportunity to play football in a new league, new country and new culture. Why not try something completely different?”
Shawcross joined Inter Miami on a free transfer and will occupy an international roster slot.
He played against new Inter
Miami coach Phil Neville in four Premier League matches while Neville played for Everton and was teammates with Inter Miami winger/fullback Brek Shea during Shea’s brief tenure with Stoke City from 2013-14.
Shawcross spent his youth career with Manchester United from 2002-06 before moving up to the club’s first team in 2006. Neville played for Manchester United from 1994-2005.
“With Ryan, having known him for a long time since he was a youth team player at Manchester United and then following his career at Stoke, I know that he fits into what we want to do at Inter Miami,” Neville said in a statement. “He’s a good leader on and off the field, he sets the example for others to follow in terms of his professionalism.”
Shawcross said the process of his ultimate signing with Inter Miami lasted for about a month, with him quickly buying into Neville’s vision for the team.
“Right from the start,” Shawcross said, “it’s something that I really wanted to give a go.”
In Shawcross, Inter Miami is gaining a veteran defender who’ll be counted on to help mentor the team’s younger players and be a leader on and off the field.
“Ryan fits the Inter Miami DNA because of his experience and his longevity at a club,” Chris Henderson, Inter Miami’s chief soccer officer and sporting director, said in a statement. “He’s going to be able to come here and be a leader, not only on the field, but his leadership will be seen with the young players and players coming through.”
On the field, Shawcross will provide Inter Miami with depth at the center back position along with Nico Figal, Ian Fray, Leandro González Pirez and Christian Makoun on the team.
“He’s physically dominant, his feet are good, his range of passing is good and we think he’s going to be a great addition to our backline,” Henderson said of Shawcross.
“Adding another central defender was important for our group and we want to create competition at every position. That’s the goal, to be able to go out everyday and the players are fighting for their spot. That will help the team as a whole. That’s Phil’s vision to have competition.”
Inter Miami is scheduled to start preseason training camp on March 8, with the 2021 season kicking off on April 17.
2021 roster
Goalkeepers (3): Drake Callender, Dylan Castanheira, John McCarthy;
Defenders (7): Nico Figal, Ian Fray, Leandro González Pirez, Christian Makoun, Dylan Nealis, Patrick Seagrist, Ryan Shawcross;
Midfielders (11): George Acosta, Edison Azcona, Brek Shea, Jay Chapman, Blaise Matuidi, Lewis Morgan, Matías Pellegrini, Josh Penn, Rodolfo Pizarro, Victor Ulloa, Felipe Valencia;
Forwards (3): Julián Carranza, Gonzalo Higuaín, Robbie Robinson.