Maurice Edu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Maurice Edu

Edu in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Maurice Edu
Date of birth	(1986-04-18) April 18, 1986 (age 39)
Place of birth	Fontana, California, United States
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder, defender
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2006	Maryland Terrapins	55	(10)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2008	Toronto FC	38	(5)
2008–2012	Rangers	96	(9)
2012–2015	Stoke City	1	(0)
2013	→ Bursaspor (loan)	11	(0)
2014	→ Philadelphia Union (loan)	31	(3)
2015–2017	Philadelphia Union	22	(1)
2016–2017	→ Bethlehem Steel (loan)	6	(0)
Total		205	(18)
International career
2007–2008	United States U23	6	(0)
2007–2014	United States	46	(1)
Medal record Representing  United States Runner-up CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011 Men's Soccer
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Maurice Edu, born on April 18, 1986, is an American soccer expert. He used to be a professional player and now works as a commentator.

Maurice was the very first player chosen in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He also won the 'Rookie of the Year' award while playing for Toronto. Because he played so well for Toronto, he was asked to join the United States national team. Big clubs in Europe also started to notice him.

He later joined a team called Rangers in Scotland. He helped them win the Scottish Premier League three times. After some money problems at Rangers, he moved to Stoke City. He didn't play much there, so he went on loan to Bursaspor in Turkey. Then, he returned to the MLS to play for Philadelphia Union.

Today, Maurice works as a commentator for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. He also helped cover the 2022 FIFA World Cup for Fox Sports. He has also worked on local TV broadcasts for Atlanta United.

Early Life and College Soccer

Maurice Edu grew up in Fontana, California. He played college soccer at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was part of the Maryland Terrapins team from 2004 to 2006. In 2005, his team won the national championship, called the NCAA College Cup.

Maurice decided to leave college early to join the professional soccer league. He was named a top college player in 2006.

Club Career Highlights

Maurice Edu played for several soccer clubs during his career. He started in North America, then moved to Europe, and later returned to the United States.

Playing for Toronto FC

Maurice joined Major League Soccer after leaving college. Toronto picked him as the first player in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He played his first MLS game on April 25, 2007. He scored his first goal on May 12 against Chicago Fire.

In his first season, he played 25 games and scored four goals. He won the MLS Rookie of the Year award. He also played his first game for the senior national team that year.

Time with Rangers in Scotland

On August 16, 2008, Maurice went to Glasgow, Scotland. He talked with Rangers, a team in the Scottish Premier League. Rangers agreed to pay about £2.6 million for him. Maurice signed a five-year contract on August 17, 2008. He officially joined the team a few days later after getting a work permit.

Edu playing for Rangers against St Mirren in March 2011

Maurice played his first game for Rangers on September 13, 2008. Rangers won the game 2–1. He scored his first goal for Rangers on April 8, 2009. He scored another goal eleven days later. He played in many games towards the end of that season. This included his first game against Celtic, a big rival team. Rangers won that game 1–0.

He won a league championship medal in his first season in Scotland. He played in 12 of Rangers' 38 games. However, he missed the 2009 Scottish Cup Final because of a knee injury.

After his injury, Maurice returned to play for Rangers on December 27, 2009. He scored a winning goal against Celtic on February 28, 2010. Rangers won 1–0. On March 21, 2010, Rangers won the 2010 Scottish League Cup Final. Maurice earned his second league medal that season.

In the 2010–11 season, Maurice played his first Champions League game. It was against Manchester United. He played very well in that game. On October 20, 2010, he scored his first Champions League goal against Valencia. The game ended in a 1–1 draw.

Maurice played his 100th game for Rangers on November 5, 2011. Rangers won that game 3–1. Later, Rangers faced financial problems. Maurice was linked with a move to another club, but he stayed.

Moving to Stoke City

Maurice joined Premier League team Stoke City on August 25, 2012. He signed a three-year contract. He said it was a "dream come true" to play in the Premier League. He played his first game for Stoke on October 7. It was a 0–0 draw against Liverpool. This was his only game for Stoke during the 2012–13 season. He hoped for more chances with a new manager, but he did not play any more games for Stoke.

Loan to Bursaspor

Since he wasn't playing much at Stoke City, Maurice joined Bursaspor in Turkey. This was a loan until the end of the 2012–13 season. He played 12 games for Bursaspor. His team finished in 4th place.

Playing for Philadelphia Union

On January 27, 2014, Maurice joined Philadelphia Union on loan. He scored his first goal for the Union on April 5. It was a 2–2 draw against Chicago Fire. In the 2014 U.S. Open Cup Final, Maurice scored a goal that put the Union ahead. However, they lost the game in extra time.

Maurice officially joined Philadelphia Union in January 2015. He usually played as a midfielder. But he often played as a defender in 2014 and 2015. He was good at long passes and controlling the ball. In late September 2015, Maurice got a groin injury. This kept him from playing for the rest of the 2015 season.

After recovering from his groin injury, Maurice got another injury. He had a stress fracture in his left leg. This meant he missed all of the 2016 season. He played three games for Bethlehem Steel FC, a team linked with the Union. In 2017, he also played a few games for Steel FC. He did not play any first-team games for the Union that year.

Maurice left the Union after his contract ended in 2017. He trained with Los Angeles FC but did not sign a contract.

International Career

Maurice Edu played for the United States. He made his first international appearance on October 17, 2007, against Switzerland. A month later, he played against South Africa. He helped set up the winning goal in that game.

Maurice was part of the U.S. team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played in all three group games. He even played as a defender sometimes. He helped his team get a penalty in the last group game. However, the U.S. team did not move past the group stage.

Maurice scored his first international goal for the U.S. on May 25, 2010. It was in a friendly game against the Czech Republic.

He was chosen for the 23-man team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On June 18, against Slovenia, he scored a goal. The game was tied 2–2. But the referee did not allow the goal. Many people thought the referee's decision was wrong.

Maurice continued to play for the national team in 2011 and 2012. After that, he played less often for the team.

Personal Life

Maurice Edu's parents came from Nigeria. His father was a math teacher, and his mother was a chemistry teacher. He has a younger brother, Reggie Edu, who is also a teacher and soccer coach. He also has three older sisters.

Maurice was featured on the cover of the video game FIFA 09 in North America. He appeared alongside other famous players like Guillermo Ochoa and Ronaldinho.

Honors and Awards

Maurice Edu won several awards and championships during his career.

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Scottish Cup: 2008–09
• Scottish League Cup: 2009–10, 2010–11

Individual Awards

• MLS Rookie of the Year: 2007

See also

In Spanish: Maurice Edu para niños