Orlando City gets English/American D Seb Hines on loan via Middlesbrough
Orlando City has signed English-American defender Seb Hines from Middlesbrough on loan with an option to extend, the MLS club announced on Tuesday.
Hines, a central defender that can also play as a defensive midfielder, progressed through the ranks of Middlesbrough's youth system and has made 87 total appearances for the side, most of which have come in the second-tier English Championship. He spent the first half of the 2014-2015 season on loan at Coventry City, with which he made nine appearances.
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Hines will join an Orlando City defensive unit that will likely be anchored by former Sporting Kansas City center back Aurelien Collin and Amobi Okugo, who like Hines played both center back and defensive midfielder in his time with the Philadelphia Union.
“We’re very pleased to have Seb join us,” said Orlando City coach Adrian Heath in the club's announcement of the move. “His experience will be very valuable for our team’s competitive position in our first MLS season. We look forward to start working with him.”
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Hines, 26, was born in England to an American father and English mother. He has represented England at youth levels but has never made an appearance for the Three Lions' senior national team. Because his father is an American citizen, Hines will not take up an international roster spot for Orlando City, which is scheduled to begin its inaugural MLS campaign at home against fellow expansion side New York City FC on March 8.
