Robbie Rogers, a 2005 second-team Soccer America All-Freshman pick, signed a multi-year contract with Dutch Eredivisie club Heerenveen and will not return to defending national champion Maryland.
''This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that came suddenly,'' Rogers continued. ''The past seven days have been the toughest of my life in terms of making an educated decision about my future. However, I feel that I am ready to make soccer my career and this was an opportunity I could not pass up.''
Rogers had tried out with Heerenveen over the summer before joinng the U.S. U-20 national team at the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland.
''This is a substantial contract with a club in the top league in Holland,'' said Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski. ''Although losing Robbie at this point in time is significant for us because of his special qualities as a player and as a person, I am extremely happy to see him fulfill his boyhood dream. I am still extremely confident with the quality and character of our 2006 team, and am looking forward to another successful season.
Rogers totaled 19 points (7 goals, 5 assists) for Maryland.
He is the third member of the Soccer America All-Freshman teams to sign with a foreign club in the offseason.
Freshman of the Year Lee Nguyen left Indiana for Dutch champion PSV. (Nguyen played for PSV in its 3-1 loss to Ajax for the Johan Cruyff Trophy on Sunday.)
Campbell's Sonny Guadarrama signed with Santos of the Mexican First Division.