ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Monday they had completed the signing of defender Damion Lowe, pending league and USSF approval. Per club policy, further contract details were not disclosed.

Lowe, 23, joins the Rowdies backline after an impressive 2016 season with Minnesota United FC. He was in Minnesota on loan from Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders and featured in 27 games for United, starting 25 matches and logging 2,241 minutes as one of the Loons’ first-choice center backs.

“We got to see Damion up close last year when we played against him,” Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell said. “He’s a handful to play against due to his size and strength, but he’s also a smart defender. He’s got the grittiness we’re looking for and we’re excited to bring him to Tampa Bay.”

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A former player for Reading United AC in the PDL, after three standout seasons at the University of Hartford Lowe signed with MLS as a member of the 2014 Generation Adidas class. He was selected eighth overall by the Sounders in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.

Lowe played for Seattle Sounders FC 2 in 2015, registering 17 appearances as the side reached the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs, before joining the Loons on loan last season, where he became a key player for Minnesota and took the step onto the international stage.

Lowe made his senior international debut for Jamaica in October of 2016 against Guyana in the Caribbean Cup. He is the son of Onandi Lowe, who was capped 65 times by the Reggae Boyz from 1995 to 2004.