Option declined on Nov. 1, 2017.
Onyewu is a big, physical presence who brings experience and veteran professionalism to Philadelphia for the 2017 season. He should provide excellent depth at the center back position, as the team's starters develop.
INTERNATIONAL: Internationally, the defender has earned 69 caps for the United States national team, scoring six goals. His first tally came in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup against Honduras on July 21, 2005 at Giants Stadium. He was part of the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup squads.
COLLEGE: Spent two years at Clemson.
OUTSIDE MLS: Onyewu signed his first professional contract with Metz in France ahead of the 2002-03 season at the age of 20. He made his professional debut on January 22, 2003 in Ligue 2. He transferred to the Belgian first division club La Louviere for the 2003-2004 campaign before joining Standard Liege in 2004-05. With Standard Liege, Onyewu totaled 178 appearances over four-and-a-half seasons, totaling 16 goals and 10 assists. He won the Belgian league championship with the team in both 2007-08 and 2008-09. Midway through his third campaign with Standard Liege, Onyewu made a brief loan spell with Newcastle United, where he recorded his Premier League debut on February 3, 2007 against Fulham. The defender transferred to Italian giants AC Milan ahead of the 2009-10 campaign, where he made his first appearance for the team in the UEFA Champions League against FC Zurich on September 30, 2009. In his second season with Milan, he was loaned to Dutch side FC Twente, helping the team capture the Dutch Cup. After stints in Portugal with Sporting CP and in Spain with Malaga, Onyewu returned to England to join Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic in recent campaigns.
