BIRMINGHAM, AL. (Nov. 20, 2018) -- Birmingham Legion FC announced today the signing of midfielder Joseph Holland, pending league and federation approval. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder joins the club following a season with a fellow USL Championship team, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, where he featured 14 times in the 2018 season and helped the team reach the USL Cup Playoffs.

“We are excited to add a player like Joe as he is a versatile midfield player that can impact the game from different positions,” said Legion FC President and General Manager Jay Heaps. “He also brings MLS and USL experience to Legion FC that will help us on and off the field.”

“I already feel an extra boost of motivation to work hard technically and physically this off-season to come into preseason in Birmingham in the best shape I have ever been,” said Holland. “I feel really driven and excited about the possibilities for the inaugural season.”

Before joining Pittsburgh, Holland was originally drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by the Houston Dynamo. He saw the field five times early in his rookie season before spending most of the year on loan from Houston to the USL’s Rio Grande Valley Toros. There, he started 13 games and tallied up four goals and an assist.

Holland played collegiately at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. In four years on campus he scored 19 goals and had 28 assists in 79 career games. He made the All-Colonial Athletic Association first team in his final three seasons. Acknowledging his outstanding junior season, he was named a National Soccer Coaches of America Association Second-Team All-American and was the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year.

By trading his hometown Birmingham, England for Birmingham, AL, Holland will fill one of Legion FC’s seven international roster slots.

Transaction: On November 20, 2018, Legion FC signed midfielder Joseph Holland, pending league and federation approval.

Player Profile:
Name: Joseph Holland
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’ 10”
Weight: 170 lbs.
Birthdate: April 21, 1993 (age: 25)
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
Citizenship: England
Previous Club: Pittsburgh Riverhounds FC (United Soccer League Championship)

Twitter: @jmttholland

Career Highlights:
2015 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year
2015 National Coaches of America Association Second-Team All-American
All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team, 2014-2016
1st Round, 10th Pick - 2017 MLS SuperDraft
4 goals, 2 assists in pro career

About Birmingham Legion FC
Set to debut as an expansion member of the United Soccer League in 2019, Birmingham Legion FC is the Magic City’s first and only locally owned and operated professional soccer franchise. The club will play home matches at a newly renovated BBVA Compass Field, on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, beginning in the Spring of 2019. For ticket information and to purchase official Legion FC merchandise, please visit bhmlegion.com. Supporters are encouraged to follow @bhmlegion on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest club news.