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D.C. United signs Hungarian international Zoltan Stieber

REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

Eastern Conference bottom-dweller D.C. United has acquired Hungary international midfielder Zoltan Stieber from German second-tier side FC Kaiserslautern.

United announced the move with a statement on its website Wednesday, adding that Stieber's transfer will be formally completed upon receipt of an International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa. As per MLS policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Stieber boasts 21 Hungary caps including three appearances in the 2016 UEFA European Championships in France. The attacking midfielder scored against Austria in the Group F opener, as Hungary advanced to the Round of 16 before bowing out to Belgium.

"We are thrilled to be getting a high-level player in the prime of his career with top level experience in the German Bundesliga and with the Hungarian national team," United general manager and VP of football operations Dave Kasper said.

Stieber, 28, moves to the North American top flight as the latest stop in an unconventional footballing saga. A product of several Hungarian academies, Stieber moved to Aston Villa's youth set-up in 2005, but failed to make a single first-team appearance, prompting a loan at Yeovil Town and an eventual switch to lower-league German side TuS Koblenz. From there, Stieber had stops with Alemannia Aachen, Mainz, Greuther Furth, and Hamburg, among others.

Now set to ply his trade in the MLS and to join fellow Hungarians Daniel Salloi (Sporting KC) and league-leading scorer Nemanja Nikolic (Chicago), Stieber's versatility in attacking and wing roles should help struggling D.C.

Kasper seems to think so, adding "Zoltan is a technically gifted player who can play multiple attacking positions, is excellent in possession, creates chances at high rates, and who works on both sides of the ball for 90 minutes."

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