DETROIT – Detroit City FC announced on Friday it had agreed a two-year contract extension with long-term defender and captain Stephen Carroll with an option for the 2027 USL Championship season. The agreement is pending league and federation approval.

Carroll is the all-time appearance leader for Le Rouge and was named the 2018 Black Arrow MVP. As a City Centurion, Carroll has made 143 professional appearances for the club, more than any other City Centurion. He is also the longest-tenured current captain in Detroit professional sports.

The Cork, Ireland native joined Le Rouge ahead of the 2017 National Premier Soccer League season when the club played in the amateur ranks. He also played collegiately with Davenport University on the west side of Michigan.

Following Dave Edwardson's retirement, Carroll became the fourth captain in Detroit City FC history in 2019, a position he retained when the club joined the professional ranks the following year. Since Le Rouge’s jump to the USL Championship in 2022, Carroll has remained a mainstay in the squad and a key part of all three seasons, playing more than 2,500 league minutes in each campaign. Carroll has started 88 matches to date in the USL Championship.

Analysis

It’s impossible to think of Detroit City FC without thinking of Stephen Carroll, who is set to reach a decade in the club’s colors under his new contract. The center back has been key in Le Rouge’s progression to the USL Championship Playoffs in the past two seasons and has continued to impress this year with Detroit’s defensive prowess playing a key role in their bid for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference for the first time.

Since Detroit City joined the USL Championship in 2022, Carroll leads the club with 7,775 minutes and 352 clearances in regular season action, while also sitting tied with longtime teammate Michael Bryant with 141 interceptions. He has also won 364 duels at a 59.3 percent success rate, including 170 aerial duels at a 57.1 success rate, making him one of the keys in the club’s consistent defensive success.