New York City FC are delighted to announce the signing of Ecuadorian defender Andrés Mendoza.

The 6'2", 25 year old defender, nicknamed "Belleza" or "Beauty", has played professionally in Ecuador since 2007 and recently in Uruguay with CD Maldonado.

"We’re delighted to add a defender of Mendoza's caliber to our growing roster” New York City FC Head Coach, Jason Kreis told NYCFC.com.

“Andrés is an exciting prospect; he’s young, strong in the air and very athletic. He’s also a good passer which will be a great benefit to us as he can play the ball out of defense."

“He really ticks all the boxes that our coaching staff looks for in defenders. I’m confident he will reach his full potential playing in Major League Soccer and will make a positive impact on this league."

Mendoza, said: "It’s an honor to sign for a Club that has such high ambitions. This is a big move for me personally and I’m excited to be a part of a roster that is already looking very strong."

"I've never played outside of South America before so this is an exciting sporting and lifestyle change for me and I’m very much looking forward to it. I can't wait to start getting to know the culture, the people and most importantly the fans in New York."

“I’m going to do everything I can to earn positive results for this Club and I’m thrilled to begin this new chapter in my career.”

Mendoza will be added to NYCFC's roster for the 2015 season pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and his P1 Visa. Per MLS and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.