New Jersey native Peter Stroud returns home, inks deal with Red Bulls

Peter Stroud is finally going to play soccer at home.

The youngest of four soccer-playing brothers from Chester, Stroud signed a three-year homegrown contract with the Red Bulls. The 5-foot-10, 145-pound midfielder has been with the team at their Hanover training facility since earlier this week. They will leave for IMG Academy in Florida on Monday.

Terms of the deal were not released, per MLS policy. However, it includes options for 2026 and 2027.

"I've been itching to get out here and play for the Red Bulls," Stroud, 20, said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey.

"I really wanted it to happen. I'm excited to finally be here."

He joins older brother Jared Stroud in Major League Soccer. Jared Stroud, who played at Delbarton and Colgate, started his professional career with the Red Bulls before moving on to expansion Austin FC and now St. Louis City SC.

Peter Stroud was the runner-up for the MAC Hermann Trophy − the award given to the top player in college soccer − on Jan 6. The following day, the Duke University midfielder announced via social media he would forgo his remaining year of NCAA eligibility and turn pro.

"Peter has shown us many great qualities on and off the field," Red Bulls coach Gerhard Struber said in a statement. "He is an exciting young talent, and we are really looking forward to having him on our roster."

The first to win back-to-back ACC Midfielder of the Year honors, Stroud had six goals and 12 assists in three seasons at Duke. He helped reboot the Blue Devils' soccer program, which grew from four wins in his freshman year to 13 this past fall. Duke went undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 1999 and made its first appearance in an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal since 2006.

Stroud said he debated leaving college after his sophomore season, but returned to try to get closer to completing his degree in political science. He estimated he is two semesters short, and though Duke doesn't allow remote classes, he said he'll be able to return to campus whenever he can.

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Unlike his brothers Jared, Dylan and Will, Peter Stroud never played at Delbarton before heading off to college. Instead, he transitioned from PDA to the Red Bulls academy team at age 11, and then went overseas to play with West Ham United's under-18 and -23 squads. He made his West Ham youth debut at age 16, a 1-0 victory against Swansea City, and appeared in a Premier League 2 match two months later.

Stroud also appeared with the United States U-15 and -17 national teams.

"I've done way better than I ever expected," he said. "I tried the Europe route when I was younger. That experience made me realize how difficult it is over there. It's very difficult over here too. I kept all my options open during negotiations. This felt like the right place for me, and it's always been a dream of mine."

Stroud joins defender John Tolkin of Chatham as Morris County natives among the many homegrown players on the Red Bulls' preseason roster. The other New Jersey homegrowns are midfielders Daniel Edelman (Warren) and Bento Estrela (Bloomfield) and striker Serge Ngoma (North Plainfield).

Stroud estimated his commute from Chester to practice is about 30 minutes. All four brothers − Dylan, who played at Washington and Lee, and lives in South Orange; Jared; Will, who graduated from Colgate, spent his extra season of eligibility at DePaul and hopes to also turn pro; and Peter − trained together in New Jersey over Winter Break. The family's group text has been buzzing, though Peter Stroud doesn't think his parents kept their Red Bulls season tickets after Jared left the club.

"It's tough being a professional athlete," Peter Stroud said. "It's good to have a support system here I can always fall back on. ... I want to end up having a good, long career. I don't know where it'll take me, but this is something I love to do, and I want to do it for the rest of my life."

Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.

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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ soccer: Chester's Peter Stroud returns home, signs with Red Bulls