Philadelphia Union hire Earnie Stewart as sporting director

Earnie Stewart will take over as the Philadelphia Union sporting director in Jan. 2016.

The Philadelphia Union has agreed to terms with Earnie Stewart to take over as the club’s sporting director effective Jan. 2016, the team announced.

“In searching for a Sporting Director, we defined specific criteria we were looking for a candidate to fulfill,” Union owner Jay Sugarman said in a statement. “Earnie rated highly on all our key metrics. His understanding of the international soccer landscape and viewpoint on Major League Soccer, combined with his experience in player development and strong work ethic, make Earnie an excellent fit for this important role.”

Stewart will oversee the team’s technical and soccer-related decisions, the Union First Team, USL team and Youth Academy.

Stewart played midfielder for the U.S. men’s national team from 1990 to 2004, which included appearances at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. Most recently, Stewart has served as the technical director for Dutch Eredivisie team AZ Alkmaar.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to come to the Philadelphia Union and help create a winning team which the fans can identify with,” Stewart said. “I look forward to working with everyone at the Union to establish a clear playing philosophy and use my experience to create a competitive edge in our methods of recruiting and developing players at all levels of the club, from the Academy up through the First Team.”

• BIRD: MLS’s inaugural Decision Day a rousing success as drama abounds

- Christopher Chavez