Houston Dynamo sign defender Erik Sviatchenko from FC Midtjylland

The Houston Dynamo continue to strengthen their roster, signing Danish international defender Erik Sviatchenko from FC Midtjylland.

He joins through the 2024 Major League Soccer season with an option for 2025. The deal was completed using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). 

"We entered this offseason looking to add more players with a winning pedigree and Erik has won at every stop in his career. He adds valuable experience to the spine of our team and provides another veteran presence in our locker room," Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad said in a release.

"He was excited by the vision of the club and the opportunity to contribute to our project. We are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Houston."

Sviatchenko arrives after spending the entirety of his professional career in Europe, featuring in nearly 400 games for Midtjylland and Scottish Premier League’s Celtic FC. He’s lifted 11 trophies across the two clubs, leading to consistent appearances in the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League. 

Internationally, the defender has played five times for Denmark, most recently taking part in a March 2016 friendly against Scotland.

Sviatchenko stands as one of many additions to the 2023 Houston Dynamo roster, alongside Franco Escobar, Brad Smith, Artur, Amine Bassi and Ivan Franco. After a disappointing 2022 campaign, first-year head coach Ben Olsen is determined to transform the team and secure their first playoff berth since 2017. 

The Dynamo currently sit in ninth place of the Western Conference table, with three points in three matches and a record of 1W-0D-2L. 

The team returns to action on Saturday when hosting New York City FC at PNC Stadium in Houston, Texas.