Columbus Crew SC have signed Ghana international Harrison Afful as a Discovery Signing from Tunisian side Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
Afful, 29, joins the MLS club having spent the past six seasons in the Tunisian top flight with Esparance, scoring 16 goals and creating 25 more in 173 appearances.
Afful won the CAF Champions League with ES Tunis in 2011, represented Ghana at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and won a Silver Medal with the Black Stars in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Columbus Crew announced the deal on Thursday, with sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter telling the club's official website: "Harrison is an experienced, versatile defender whose playing style will fit well into our system.
NEWS: #CrewSC signs Ghanaian international defender Harrison Afful as a Discovery Signing. http://t.co/L008WeKz3u pic.twitter.com/jvx4vTgDZT
- Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) July 30, 2015
"He has established himself in the highly competitive Ghanaian National Team and has participated in both the Africa Cup of Nations and in the World Cup.
"After an extensive search, we're happy to welcome Harrison to Columbus and we feel that he is going to be a great addition to our defensive corps."
Afful will officially be added to the club's roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa.
The right-back won the Tunisian title four times in five seasons between 2009-14, and is looking forward to getting forward for Columbus Crew in MLS.
"My biggest strength is to attack," Afful said. "That is what the coach [Gregg Berhalter] told me about his system [...] and I said, 'That is my style.' So I think I will be very happy here and I will be able to adapt.
"I always say one thing to myself. I already have the talent, so if you have the talent, you need to work. You need to work more.
"This is a great challenge I have taken in. I need to work a lot to get to my standard. And there is a saying: to be at the top is easy, but to maintain it is very difficult. So, I'm just hoping I'll maintain my performance."
The 29-year-old defender has been nicknamed "The King Harrison," adding: "A king is always a winner. He's always at the top.
"I'm not saying this to boast or something, but I'm the kind of person who always wants to be at the top, so that is why I chose the name 'King.'"