United States international goalkeeper Bill Hamid signed for Danish side FC Midtjylland on Monday, a day after bidding farewell to D.C. United.
Hamid, 26, who confirmed last week that he would leave MLS for a move to Europe, was pictured signing his Midtjylland contract in an Instagram photo posted by his agency on Monday, although the club has not yet confirmed the signing.
Midtjylland have played in European competition in each of the past four years, though they only reached the group stage in the 2015-16 Europa League. They notably beat Manchester United in the first leg of a knockout stage game that year, but lost the tie on aggregate.
Hamid said on Sunday that he had received offers to play in the German Bundesliga but chose to move to Midtjylland, where he will be able to start.
"I was going to be a No. 2 at [Eintracht] Frankfurt, and I didn't know if I would have preferred that. But this is an opportunity to walk in, be a starter and continue playing, which is important," he said.
Hamid signed for D.C. United as a homegrown player in 2009 and has played for them ever since. He was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2014.
He said part of the reason for his departure was to try and break into the U.S. national team setup. He has earned three caps but has always been behind Tim Howard and Brad Guzan in the pecking order.
"Part of it is definitely about the national team," Hamid added. "Part of it is also about the fact that I've never lived anywhere else the rest of my life.
"Hopefully if I can take another jump from there within the next year or two, then I can solidify that spot and be a part of that three [with the U.S.].
"I was always in and out, got some caps here and there. But I want to push myself."
With Howard, Guzan and Nick Rimando approaching the end of their careers, Hamid is a strong candidate to become the next regular U.S. No. 1, although it will be a competitive race including New York City FC's Sean Johnson, Jesse Gonzalez of FC Dallas, Brugge's Ethan Horvath and Hertha Berlin's Jonathan Klinsmann.
After the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, whoever fills the vacant manager's job will have plenty of time to decide before the 2022 tournament.
"I'm not the decision maker but, whoever is put in that position, I hope that they still keep me in mind," Hamid said.
There were some question about whether he would attend United's season finale on Sunday, a 2-1 defeat to New York Red Bulls.
Although he was not named in the squad, Hamid did appear at the final game at RFK Stadium, taking the chance to say goodbye to the fans.
"I found myself reminiscing and reflecting a lot throughout the course of this whole season," he said.
"Throughout the course of the year, there was like a trend on my social media... I was posting stuff that just made me reminisce.
"It was just a time for me throughout this year that I was like: 'All right, I've been here for a while. So many memories. I've done some amazing things and met some amazing people.'"