Belgium international centre-back Laurent Ciman has signed a three-year deal with the Montreal Impact, the MLS club announced on Thursday.
Ciman, who joins Montreal on a free transfer from Belgian club Standard Liege, will not be a designated player, despite his international profile.
Standard Liege agreed to terminate his existing contract and allow him to leave after Ciman requested the move in part to seek medical care in Canada for his daughter, who is autistic.
"I'm very excited to join the Montreal Impact and MLS. This will be a new adventure for me and my family," Ciman said in a statement. "It is also an opportunity for my daughter, so that she could have the proper support and instruction. I would like to thank the president, my agent and all the staff of the club for this new challenge. I can't wait to meet my new teammates, the city and the fans."
Ciman, 29, has played exclusively in the Belgian Pro League for Royal Sporting Charleroi, Club Brugge, KV Kortrijk and Standard Liege.
He has nine international caps and was named to Belgium's World Cup squad last summer, though he did not appear in a game in Brazil.
The Impact are awaiting the arrival of Ciman's international transfer certificate. He will play his final game with Standard on Sunday against Anderlecht.
"We are very pleased to acquire a player of Laurent's quality and we are very excited that he has decided to continue his career with our club," said Impact coach Frank Klopas. "We were looking for a quality centre-back with a lot of experience. He is a key addition to our defence and will be a leader within the group."