PITTSBURGH (Jan. 7, 2026) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed midfielder Eliot Goldthorp for the upcoming USL Championship season with a club option for 2027, pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval of the deal.
Goldthorp, 24, is a native of Leeds, England, who split last season in the USL Championship between Lexington SC and a loan spell with FC Tulsa. In total, he made 34 appearances with 14 starts across all competitions, scoring three goals and adding four assists.
“We’ve known Eliot since his college days at Hofstra and jumped at the opportunity to bring him to Pittsburgh this offseason,” Sporting Director Dan Visser said. “He’s a true footballer, and we’re excited about the quality he’ll add to our attack.”
Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or on the wing, Goldthorp spent most of his youth career with Leeds United before making the move to nearby Bradford City, where he made his senior-level debut in 2018, two months before his 18th birthday.
After a series of loan spells from Bradford and three total seasons playing in the English leagues, Goldthorp moved to the U.S. to attend college. He played one season at Old Dominion before breaking out with two huge seasons at Hofstra, where he posted 25 goals and 21 assists in 43 matches and was a two-time All-American selection, including First Team honors in 2023.
Goldthorp was then selected by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the second round of the 2024 MLS Draft and made his pro debut with the Whitecaps 2 of MLS Next Pro. He scored 10 goals in 23 MLS Next Pro matches and also appeared once for the MLS side in a Leagues Cup match against Club Tijuana before making the move to Lexington before last season.
The Hounds are continuing to build their 2026 roster ahead of the start of this year’s preseason, with the first practice scheduled for Jan. 26. Season tickets and multi-game flex packs are on sale now at riverhounds.com/tickets or by calling the Highmark Stadium Box Office at 412-865-GOAL.
