Former Sporting Kansas City defender Michael Harrington announced today his retirement from professional soccer after a 12-year playing career.
Harrington, a North Carolina native and a product of the University of North Carolina, joined Kansas City out of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft as the No. 3 overall pick. He was a regular starter for most of his tenure with Sporting KC and ended his stint at the club with five goals and 15 assists in 170 matches across all competitions.
After winning the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in his final season with Sporting, Harrington went on to play for three other MLS clubs—the Portland Timbers (2013-14), Colorado Rapids (2015) and Chicago Fire (2016-17)—before spending the 2018 campaign in his home state with North Carolina FC of the USL Championship.
Before turning pro, Harrington was a member of multiple United States youth national teams, including participation at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship and 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was an original member of the U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Florida, and was an alternate for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics.
Moving forward, Harrington will work with the North Carolina men's soccer program as an assistant coach while finishing his degree this spring.
In addition to serving as a valuable member of Sporting from 2007-2012, Harrington was notably involved in a memorable April Fools’ Day prank in 2010. And what better #TBT on Throwback Thursday than the video below.
