CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — The Philadelphia Union have transferred central defender Mark McKenzie to Belgium’s Genk.
The Union said Thursday the transfer fee was for multimillion dollars but did not specify the amount.
McKenzie, 21, made his Union debut in 2018 and his U.S. national team debut last Feb. 1 against Panama. He has two appearances for the national team.
“We are very proud of Mark and his achievements over his three professional seasons with the Union and during his time at our academy,” Union owner Jay Sugarman said in a statement. “Player development, specifically within our academy and youth organizations, is a core pillar of our long-term strategy and Mark’s journey is one we hope will inspire many others in our academy pipeline.”
Born in New York City, McKenzie moved at age 5 to Bear, Delaware. He spent one season at Wake Forest, then signed with Philadelphia in January 2018.
“Mark has been a reliable and skilled center back, one of the best defenders in our league this year,” Union coach Jim Curtin said in a statement.
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