Inter Miami CF announced today that it has signed MLS Cup champion and three-time Western Conference champion defender Kelvin Leerdam as a free agent to a three-year contract. The Club acquired his right of first refusal from the Seattle Sounders FC in exchange for $50,000 of General Allocation Money in 2021 and $25,000 of General Allocation Money in 2022.
The right back, a U.S. Green Card holder who will not occupy an international roster spot, will join the team after his duty with the Suriname national team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers this week.
“Kelvin is a dynamic, attacking full back with a lot of winning experience in this league,” said Chris Henderson, Inter Miami CF Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director. “He is a great addition to our roster and we are looking forward to integrating him to the team following his national team duties.”
Leerdam, 30, spent the last four seasons with Seattle Sounders FC, winning one MLS Cup (2019) and three Western Conference titles (2017, 2019, 2020) in the process. The defender appeared in all three MLS Cup finals, starting in two of them and coming on as a substitute in the third; Leerdam played the full 90 minutes and scored the opening goal in the final of the team’s 2019 title-clinching final.
The defender made over 100 appearances for the Sounders in his four years in Seattle, registering 10 goals and 12 assists in that time. Leerdam continued his productive run in 2020, appearing in 24 total matches, starting in 19 of them, and tallying three goals and three assists from his right back position.
Prior to arriving in MLS with Seattle, Leerdam spent the first nine seasons of his professional career playing for Feyenoord and SBV Vitesse in the Eredivisie, the first division in the Netherlands.
He began his career at Feyenoord, where he came through the youth ranks before making his professional debut in Nov. 2008. He made over 100 appearances over the course of five seasons with the team, registering four goals and 10 assists.
Following his tenure at Feyenoord, Leerdam joined SBV Vitesse, making his debut in Aug. 2013. He went on to feature for the team for four seasons, making over 100 appearances, scoring 13 goals, and tallying nine assists. He also helped the team win the 2017 KNVB Cup, the domestic cup competition in the Netherlands. He started in five of the six matches in that tournament en route to the title, including the final.
The Paramaribo, Suriname native, who grew up in Utrecht, Netherlands, represented the Netherlands U-19 and U-21 teams on 22 occasions. He later made the switch to represent Suriname, receiving his first call up in Nov. 2019. The defender is currently on international duty ahead of Suriname’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers set for March 24, at 6 p.m. ET against the Cayman Islands, and March 27 at 8 p.m. ET against Aruba.
