Kenyan international Odada completes permanent switch from USA to Scottish topflight

Scottish outfit Dundee United has officially announced the signing of Kenyan international Richard Odada from MLS Eastern Conference side Philidelphia Union on a permanent transfer.

The Harambee Stars midfielder joins the Terrors on a two-year contract, with a club-held option of an additional year, subject to both international and SFA clearance.

“Dundee United are delighted to announce the signing of Richard Odada from MLS Eastern Conference side Philidelphia Union on a permanent transfer,” the club posted on its website.

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Beginning his career with Nairobi-based top-flight outfit AFC Leopards, Odada quickly caught the eye of various elite-level European clubs, subsequently embarking on various trial stints with Inter Milan, Juventus and latterly Red Star Belgrade - one which ended in success as he penned a deal with the 35-time Serbian Champions at the age of 19.

To further his development with regular first-team action, the defensive midfielder initially joined partner club Graficar Beograd for the 2019/20 campaign, then Metalac Gornji Milanovac for the following season.

His loan stints across the Serbian pyramid afforded him over half a century of senior appearances during his formative years.

Seeking a new challenge upon the expiry of his Red Star deal, Odada headed Stateside to team up with Philidelphia Union.

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He would balance his time between the club’s senior and reserve sides during his debut year in the United States, then temporarily joined Aalborg BK for 2023/24 to aid their efforts to return to the Danish SuperLiga at the first time of asking.

The towering 23-year-old became a regular for De Rode immediately upon his arrival last August, anchoring their title-winning midfield while also contributing four goals to the promotion push.

"It feels nice to be wearing this shirt, as soon as I heard there was interest at the end of the season I just said 'make it happen!' to my agent", Odada explained.

"The demands placed on the team both by the fans and ourselves as players are exciting - it's a mentality I'm happy to work with. I'm looking forward to working hard and giving my best for the club, fans and my teammates. I'm here to push us on to achieving our goals for the season."

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Having captained the U20s, Odada has also become an integral part of the Kenyan national side since he stepped into the senior setup, and already has 17 appearances under his belt. A maiden strike on the international scene came from the spot against Rwanda in a 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier.

Upon the unveiling of the new number 12, United Manager Jim Goodwin said: "Richard possesses an ideal balance between technical ability and physicality, both qualities that will significantly improve our midfield.

"Despite his relative youth, he has varied experience across world football on three continents, something that illustrates versatility and courage to test himself in different environments.

"Getting him up to speed with the rest of the group is now of paramount importance to ensure he can make the positive impact we anticipate he will during his time at the club.

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