Alejandro Bedoya (born April 29, 1987) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder and captains the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Early life
Bedoya, of Colombian descent, was born in New Jersey and raised in Weston, Florida, where he played youth soccer for local clubs; the AYSO club: Weston Fury, and FUTSOC USA ENIGMA Elite. In high school he won a state championship while playing for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 2005. His father, Adriano, played professional soccer in Colombia with Millonarios, and his grandfather, Fabio, played for Deportes Quindío.
Club career
Örebro SK
Although college seniors often enter the MLS SuperDraft, Bedoya explored options abroad. In late 2008, he signed a contract with Swedish club Örebro SK and joined the club on January 7, 2009. On April 6, he made his debut for Örebro SK coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute. He scored his first goal for Örebro SK when he gave the team a 1–0 lead against Assyriska FF in the Svenska Cupen. Over the course of the season, Bedoya worked his way into the starting line-up and became a mainstay at central midfield in Örebro SK 4–3–3 formation. In February 2011, Bedoya was given a trial at English Premier League side Birmingham City, but was not signed.
Rangers
On July 21, 2011, it was announced that Bedoya had agreed to personal terms with Scottish club Rangers, pending the approval of a work permit, with a view to joining in January 2012, once the Allsvenskan season was finished. However, Örebro SK and Rangers agreed an undisclosed fee on August 17, 2011, allowing him to join Rangers immediately.
Bedoya made his debut as a second-half substitute in a Scottish Premier League match against Aberdeen on August 28, 2011. He scored his first Rangers goal in a 5–0 victory over Dundee United on May 2, 2012, to help secure second place for the Glasgow club.
Helsingborgs IF
When Rangers entered administration, Bedoya signed a short-term contract with Allsvenskan champions Helsingborgs IF on August 10, 2012. On August 18, 2012, in his debut with the club, Bedoya scored an overhead kick goal in his team's 2–1 loss to Elfsborg. He started both games for Helsingborg in the home-and-away series against Celtic in the UEFA Champions League; the Swedish champions were eliminated on a 4–0 aggregate. Helsingborg were sent into the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group stage where they finished in third place and Bedoya scored two goals against Hannover 96 and FC Twente. Bedoya received a number of offers after his contract expired with Helsingborg but decided to stay for at least another six months.
Nantes
On August 7, 2013, Bedoya joined newly promoted Ligue 1 side Nantes. He went on to make his first Ligue 1 appearance for Nantes against reigning champions PSG on August 25, 2013. Bedoya's first goal for the club came in Nantes' 1–0 victory over AC Ajaccio on October 19, 2013, when he scored the only goal three minutes from time to extend the club's winning run to four games in a row. Following the match, his manager, Michel Der Zakarian, praised Bedoya for his intelligent play and technical excellence. Bedoya scored his second goal for the club, and first at Nantes' home ground the Stade de la Beaujoire, on December 3, 2013, notching Nantes' equalizing goal in an eventual 2–1 victory over struggling Valenciennes. Bedoya continued his scoring run on December 6, 2013, netting the game's only goal in Nantes' defeat of Marseille, a result which lifted Nantes into fourth place and caused the sacking of Marseille manager Élie Baup. On February 10, 2016, Bedoya scored the winning goal with a header in the 118th minute for FC Nantes in a Coupe de France match against FC Girondins de Bordeaux.
Philadelphia Union
On August 3, 2016, Bedoya joined Philadelphia Union from Nantes for a reported $1 million transfer fee as a designated player. He started all ten appearances for the Union during the remainder of the 2016 and scored two goals, including the lone playoff goal against Toronto FC.
For the 2017 season, Bedoya became the Union's captain, taking over for Brian Carroll. Becoming a mainstay of the Union's midfield, Bedoya was early on deployed as a center attacking "number 10" as the team continued to search of a dedicated player for that position. Bedoya would settle into a more familiar role on the right wing and as a midfield shuttler as the Union's tactics transitioned through the next few seasons.