San José football club Saprissa signed San Diego, California native Ramón Martín del Campo on Friday.
The 22-year-old defender was born in Hermosillo, Mexico and moved to southern California at the age of two, according to his biography. Before he put on the purple kit, del Campo played for the University of California, Davis and the San Jose Earthquakes’ Under 23 team. In 2014, he played for the U.S. U-23 national team.
Del Campo originally turned down an offer to play for Saprissa after he graduated from UC Davis in 2014, according to MLSSoccer.com. After a disappointing performance during the SuperDraft in January, the defender was passed up and sought a spot with the LA Galaxy.
According to Saprissa, del Campo had an offer to play for the Los Angeles club but decided to come to Costa Rica as a morado.
“I’m joining the best and biggest club in the area. It’s an honor to put on this jersey. The commitment and responsibility are amazing,” del Campo said during a press conference at Saprissa Stadium in Tibás, north of San José.
Del Campo signed for two years.
