Derrick Etienne Jr. will ply his trade with Columbus. (Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports)
COLUMBUS — Derrick Etienne Jr. has found a new home.
Columbus Crew SC Tuesday announced that it has signed the former Red Bulls midfielder as a free agent.
Etienne, 23, is a four-year Major League Soccer veteran who has won the MLS Supporters’ Shield (2018) as well as the USL Cup (2016) and the USL regular season championship (2016), the latter two with Red Bull II.
He played with the Red Bulls from 2015-19 before he was loaned to FC Cincinnati for the second half of the 2019 season. Etienne was released by the Red Bulls after last season.
“Derrick is a fast, young player with MLS experience and after having him in pre-season camp thus far, we are pleased to officially welcome him to Columbus Crew SC,” Crew SC president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said. “We believe Derrick is someone whose skill set makes him a valuable addition to our squad and who greatly strengthens our team’s attacking corps. We look forward to seeing Derrick’s contributions on the field.”
A Red Bulls Academy product, Etienne signed with the Red Bulls as a Homegrown Player on Dec. 21, 2015. He made 60 appearances for the Red Bulls, scoring six goals and recording four assists. Etienne was a member of the 2018 Red Bulls’ squad that won the Supporters’ Shield. He made 52 regular-season appearances and registered 13 goals and five assists for Red Bull II.
At the international level, Etienne has earned 22 caps and scored three goals with the Haiti national team since making his debut as a substitute in a Caribbean Cup qualifier against French Guiana on Nov. 9, 2016. He also represented Haiti at the youth level, featuring for its Under-17 and U-20 sides.
Etienne played for the University of Virginia in 2015, making 17 appearances while scoring two goals and providing one assist. In his lone season with the Cavaliers, the midfielder was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman team.
