PSV Eindhoven keeps increasing its footprint in North America. The Dutch club has been home to a number of Mexico internationals over the years, notably Hirving Lozano and Erick Gutierrez currently. DeMarcus Beasley once kept chalk on his boots on the wings at PSV in the Eredivisie and Champions League. PSV added one more American to the ranks on Friday: 18-year-old Richard Ledezma.
Ledezma, a Phoenix native, made his move official on Friday, though it’s been known for some time he’d be making the move during the winter transfer window after he turned 18 in September.
I have signed my first professional contract with @psv thank you to all who believed in me , I can’t wait for what the future holds for me ! Thank you to my teammates , coaches, and friends that helped me accomplish this @zlebmada pic.twitter.com/gUXBTQjtX3
— Richard Ledezma (@richydezma) December 21, 2018
Welcome to the club!
Richard Ledezma https://t.co/UClq1DDIii— PSV (@PSV) December 21, 2018
Ledezma is an exciting young midfielder who has represented the USMNT at youth levels. While he remains a dual national who could switch to represent Mexico, he’s expected to play for the U.S. in the U-20 World Cup in the summer.
Ledezma spent 2018 playing for the Real Monarchs, a USL Championship side under the Real Salt Lake umbrella. He was named U.S. Soccer Development Academy Western Conference Player of the Year in July (alongside LA Galaxy II’s Ulysses Llanez).
Ledezma, who went on trial with PSV over the summer, will be the third North American on PSV’s roster after Lozano and Gutierrez. The club recently honored its link to Mexico — including opening an office in the country — with a mariachi and a tifo in the colors of the Mexican flag.
Americans will hope this link doesn’t sway Ledezma to switch allegiances to Mexico like a Jonathan Gonzalez, but you can be sure Lozano and Gutierrez will do their parts to try to convince him to play for El Tri.
Ledezma won’t be the only American in the Netherlands. Andrija Novakovich, Erik Palmer-Brown, Kyle Scott, Kai Koreniuk and Sergiño Dest are all based in the country. Ledezma could face the latter three in the second division with PSV’s youth team before he works his way into the senior side.
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