Revolution lose Parkhurst

Ace defender will play in Denmark

At 24, Michael Parkhurst could not think of a better time to make this move.

After four years with the Revolution, Parkhurst is expected to be introduced today as a member of FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark's Superligaen.

Parkhurst, a Rhode Island native, is one of the Revolution's most decorated players. He is a three-time Major League Soccer All-Star and was MLS Defender of the Year in 2007.

No terms were announced for the deal with Nordsjaelland, but Parkhurst had played out his MLS contract (he made around $150,000 last season) and was free to pursue opportunities in Europe without a club having to pay MLS a transfer fee.

"I just felt like with me being the age I am, and being out of contract, that if I ever wanted to try and make it in Europe, this was the time," said Parkhurst. "Now that I'm still young and have the opportunity to do it, I felt like it was something I needed to do to further my career."

Parkhurst was a first-round selection (ninth overall) by the Revolution in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft after wrapping up his college career at Wake Forest. He gained the trust of coach Steve Nicol in his rookie season and was tapped to play central defender in the team's 3-5-2 formation. Parkhurst played every minute of the Revolution's regular-season schedule that year, and was MLS Rookie of the Year.

Parkhurst's presence in the back became a critical part to the Revolution's makeup as they advanced to the MLS Cup in each of his first three seasons. This year, Parkhurst earned the league's Fair Play Award for the second year in a row, played for the United States at the Beijing Olympics, and trained with the national team.

With such a résumé, Nicol said, it was not surprising that Parkhurst would look for competitive chances overseas.

"He's obviously a huge part of us defensively," Nicol said. "It's going to be tough to fill his boots, but it's a part of it. We know that guys who do real well always have opportunities elsewhere. It will always be a problem, not just for us, but every team in the MLS."

Parkhurst said he is grateful to the Revolution for giving him a chance and for the opportunity to play close to home.

"It was a fantastic start to my career and everything seemed to fall in place," Parkhurst said. "I couldn't have envisioned my career starting the way it has, and that's a testament to my teammates and the coaching staff."

Parkhurst was an appealing player for European clubs not only because of his skills, but because he holds an Irish passport (his father was born in Ireland). As an EU citizen, Parkhurst doesn't count against foreign player limits set by leagues.

As Parkhurst entered the last year of his contract, he did not hide his desire to play overseas, according to Mike Burns, the Revolution's vice president of player personnel.

"It's disappointing to lose a player like Michael, but we thought this would be the way it would play out," Burns said. "They were up front with us from the beginning."

Parkhurst said he has been in negotiations to finalize the contract with Nordsjaelland for about a month and a half. Part of his process was to learn about a league he knew little about.

Nordsjaelland is in eighth place in the Superligaen standings at 4-9-4 and begins the second half of its season in March. Other US players in the league include Danny Califf (Midtjylland), and Benny Feilhaber and Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus).

"They have one of the best young coaches in Scandinavia [Morten Wieghorst] and they've produced a lot of talent," Parkhurst said.

"It could be a good steppingstone for me."

Since the Revolution's season ended with a loss to Chicago in the Eastern Conference semifinals, it has been a busy offseason. They traded forward Adam Cristman to Kansas City for allocation money and the Wizards' third-round pick in 2009. The Revolution also lost midfielder Khano Smith to Seattle Sounders FC in the expansion draft.

"You try your best to keep the nucleus and the core group of guys, which we still believe we have intact," Burns said. "We're always looking to strengthen the team. It's still the same mind-set going forward to make the team the best we can."

Frank Dell'Apa of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com.