Red Bull New York announced today the signing of English forward Luke Rodgers. Rodgers will join the team’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
“Our head coach Hans knows Luke very well from his days coaching at Notts County and we believe he will immediately compete for a starting position,” said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “He has a very good work ethic and provides pace and strength to our front line.”
Rodgers, 29, comes to New York after spending his entire professional career in England. Most recently, Rodgers played for Notts County, where he played under current Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe, and helped the team gain promotion to League One (English third division) by capturing the League Two (fourth division) championship in the 2009-10 season. In his time with Notts County, Rodgers appeared in 46 games and scored 13 goals.
Prior to joining Notts County, Rodgers was a member of Yeovil Town of League One, where he signed in January 2009 after being loaned there in November 2008 from League Two side Port Vale. Rodgers played a total of 22 matches for Yeovil Town, scoring three goals. During his years at Port Vale beginning in 2007, Rodgers made 59 appearances and notched 16 goals. During the 2007-2008 season in which Port Vale competed in League One, Rodgers had nine goals in 36 games.
Rodgers played at League One side Crewe Alexandra from 2005-2007, where he tallied nine goals in 38 appearances. He began his career with a lengthy tenure at fourth-division side Shrewsbury Town. During a six year career at the club, Rodgers played in 179 matches in all competitions, and scored 79 goals. He had over 20 goals in consecutive seasons from 2001-2003, and helped the team regain fourth division status in 2003-04, as the club won the Conference National Playoff.
Luke Rodgers
Position:
Forward
Height:
5-8
Weight:
157
Day of Birth:
Jan. 1, 1982 in Birmingham, England
Hometown:
Birmingham, England
Previous Professional Club:
Notts County (England League One)
Status:
International
How Acquired:
Signed on Jan. 28, 2011
