PITTSBURGH (Feb. 28, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed veteran defensive midfielder Junior Etou to a one-year contract with a club option for 2024, pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.
Etou, 28, is a native of Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, with a lengthy resumé spanning the USL Championship and French leagues. He spent the past season with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, where he made 24 appearances in all competitions and was usually deployed in a holding role ahead of the Rowdies’ back three.
“We are excited to welcome Junior to Pittsburgh for the 2023 USL Championship season. He is a ball-winning midfielder who is very good in transition moments, and his work ethic and tenacity are a very good fit for our team,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said.
Before joining the Rowdies, Etou played in 2020 and 2021 for the Charlotte Independence, where he recorded 23 appearances and one goal with his first American club.
Etou, who was raised in France, made his way up through the French league system, beginning as a teenage amateur with J.A. Drancy in the fifth division and moving on to Monts d’Or Azergues. In 2018, he broke into the professional ranks with AS Béziers in Ligue 2. In his one full season before making the move to the U.S., Etou appeared in 17 league matches and in the Coupe de France for Béziers.
The signing of Etou, who started the Hounds most recent preseason match against Pitt, brings the Hounds roster to 15 players announced, with more signings to be confirmed this week.
