Josh Smith, an American who grew up in a military family in Kaiserslautern, Germany, has signed a contract with Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution.

The Revolution selected Smith with the 75th overall pick in the 2017 MLS Super Draft on Jan. 17. The fourth-round pick played 297 minutes in six preseason appearances for the club and performed well enough to earn a roster spot as a center defensive back.

“It’s a great blessing,” Smith said in a story on www.revolutionsoccer.net, New England’s official website. “It’s a prestigious environment here. The organization is great and I think it’s a great place to be.”

The 24-year-old Smith was born in Fort Polk, La., and grew up in Kaiserslautern with his father, a member of the U.S. Army. Smith was a member of the United States under-17 national team and played in the German Bundesliga with the under-17 and under-19 squads at Karlsruher SC Academy.

Smith starred collegiately at the University of San Francisco. He returned from a season-ending injury in 2015 as a senior in 2016, starting all 16 of the Dons’ games, logging 1,440 minutes and earning second team All-West Coast Conference honors.

Smith is excited for the next phase of an already impressive career.

“I’m thankful to be in this environment,” Smith said on www.revolutionsoccer.net. “I’m a competitor, so I want to compete and work hard.”

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