Inter Miami CF announced today it has signed center back Ryan Shawcross on a free transfer. The accomplished defender joins the Club after 14 years with Stoke City FC in the English Premier League and EFL Championship, where he has served as captain since 2010.
Shawcross will occupy an international roster slot, pending a physical, receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
“Ryan fits the Inter Miami DNA because of his experience and his longevity at a club. He’s going to be able to come here and be a leader, not only on the field, but his leadership will be seen with the young players and players coming through. He’s physically dominant, his feet are good, his range of passing is good and we think he’s going to be a great addition to our backline,” said Chris Henderson, Inter Miami CF Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director. “Adding another central defender was important for our group and we want to create competition at every position. That’s the goal, to be able to go out everyday and the players are fighting for their spot. That will help the team as a whole. That’s Phil’s vision to have competition.”
Shawcross, 33, made over 400 appearances in his career with Stoke City, placing him in the top 10 in all-time appearances for the club. The defender also captained The Potters to their only FA Cup final in 2011, finishing as runners-up to Manchester City. In total, he scored 25 goals and tallied 16 assists for the team.
Shawcross began his lengthy tenure with Stoke City in Aug. 2007, first joining on loan from Manchester United before making the move permanent in Jan. 2008. He quickly made an impact, making 41 appearances in the Championship in his first season, scoring seven goals and helping the team achieve promotion to the Premier League; he was named to the PFA Team of the Year for the EFL Championship that season.
After helping the team achieve promotion, Shawcross helped Stoke City maintain its place in the Premier League for 10 seasons and earned the captain’s armband in the process. In that time, he made 317 appearances in England’s first division, registering 14 goals and 13 assists.
Prior to joining Stoke, Shawcross spent the second half of the 2006-2007 season on loan at Royal Antwerp FC in the Belgian second division. There he made 19 appearances and helped the team reach the playoffs.
Shawcross began his career at Manchester United where he progressed through the youth ranks before making his professional debut. He appeared in two EFL Cup matches with the Red Devils.
The defender also featured on the international stage once, making an appearance for England’s senior team in an international friendly against Sweden in Nov. 2012.
At Stoke, Shawcross played against Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville in four Premier League matches while Neville played for Everton FC. Shawcross also overlapped with new Inter Miami teammate Brek Shea from 2013 to 2014 with The Potters. The pair made five appearances together, three in the Premier League and two in the EFL Cup.
