D.C. United midfielder Bobby Convey’s transfer to English First Division club Reading was finalized yesterday, making the 21-year-old left wing the first United player to be sold overseas while still under contract.
Convey was issued a work permit by the British government, removing all technicalities from this deal. United will receive a major player allocation from Major League Soccer for Convey.
“Major League Soccer and D.C. United have given me a home these last few years to develop my game and become the professional that I am today, and for that I’m grateful,” Convey said in a statement. “I’m truly excited to join Reading FC and have the opportunity to show that another American born and bred professionally in MLS, is world-class. My dream of going to England has come true, and I’m sure it will be a great experience.”
Last year Convey’s proposed transfer to English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur fell through when the British Home Office refused to grant the Philadelphia native a work permit because he did not appear in the requisite 75 percent of the U.S. men’s national team matches over two years.
Convey spent 41/2 seasons with United, scoring eight goals with 16 assists, and was a two-time All-Star. In 2000, he became the youngest player to sign with MLS when United drafted the 16-year-old with the 12th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
The last two years, Convey has been splitting time between the U.S. national team and youth international service with both the U.S. Under-20 and U-23 teams. Convey is expected to make his Reading debut Aug.2 against Premier League club Manchester City in a friendly.
“We expect to see Bobby become one of Europe’s strongest left-sided players and a major force behind Reading’s drive towards promotion to the Premier League,” said Nick Hammond, Reading’s director of football. “His first touch, pace, field leadership — everything we see in Bobby — says he’ll have a spectacular career as a Royal. The club is delighted to have landed a player who has a record of success at the highest levels of play at such an early age and still shows so much potential for the future.”
According to London’s Mirror newspaper, Convey’s transfer fee was for $1million and he is expected to make about $500,000 this season. Convey’s departure clears $143,000 off United’s books and has the club in good shape for next season under the league’s tight $1.7million salary cap.
Convey’s departure opens up another roster spot. United has 16 players who count against the roster and three of those — forwards Eliseo Quintanilla, Thiago Martins, and Santino Quaranta — have yet to play in a league match this season because of injuries. Quintanilla and Martins are out for the season, and Quaranta is at least three weeks away because he is not fit after returning from abdominal surgery.
If All-Stars Ryan Nelsen, Ben Olsen and midfielder Earnie Stewart don’t play tomorrow at the Dallas Burn (5-6-5) because of injuries, United (5-6-6) will be reduced to just 10 full-roster players, making it imperative that they bring in players for the playoff run with 13 games remaining in the season.
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