Stuart Findlay joined Oxford United on a four-year deal on Tuesday as he departed the Philadelphia Union after signing in February 2021.
Findlay, who is a Scottish international, featured in 11 MLS fixtures during his short tenure with the club. The 26-year-old started the last two games before his departure and played a crucial role in helping the Union pick up back-to-back wins over Inter Miami and the New England Revolution.
The performance that will stick out long in the memory of Union fans was his heroic effort in the Eastern Conference final against NYCFC last season. With Philadelphia heavily impacted by COVID, Findlay partnered with Aurelien Colin at the heart of the defence as the Union lost in the dying seconds of that fixture.
Union boss Jim Curtin was sad to see the Scotsman leave and was full of praise for a true professional and well-loved member of the squad after the win over New England.
Curtin said: "I'd like to thank Stuart Findlay for everything that he did for this club. Again, I know he would have preferred more minutes on the field, but what he gave to this group, to the locker room, to the young players, and to being a professional.
"If you go back and look at every game he played in, we don't concede a lot of goals when he's on the field, and he did a great job for us.
"We leave on happy terms on both sides. Sometimes in sports, there are good decisions for both sides that benefit each party, and we'll miss him. Talk about a guy who was a true professional and gave everything for the club during his time here. I just want to single him out and thank him."
Findlay joins Oxford for an undisclosed transfer fee and will be available for the beginning of their League One campaign. His departure will allow USA Under-20 international Brandon Craig to step up into the third-choice centre-back role.