FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Jozy Altidore is headed to Holland.
The American soccer star confirmed Friday morning at his Boca Raton, Fla., camp that he has agreed to play for AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Altidore, who played in Turkey this spring, also has had stints in Spain and the English Premier League in recent seasons.
"For me it's about the environment," Altidore said before making his announcement. "It's really essential. I think I'm at the age where I have a lot of experience now, I've played in a lot of places, I've played against top competition around the world. So I think it's important to me now to go to a place where I can put that on display. That's what I'm going to do. That's what I'm hoping for."
Altidore, 21, remains on loan from Villareal in the Spanish La Liga. He signed a six-year, $10 million transfer deal with the first-division team in 2008 but continues to gain experience elsewhere.
"It doesn't affect anything," Altidore said of his new assignment. "It's a transfer. A club will come in and pay a fee and you're off to that club."
Altidore, a forward on the U.S. Men's National Team, has gained a maturity beyond his years by playing around the world. He is still recovering from a serious injury to his left hamstring, sustained June 19 against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
"I was 18 when I was in England and Spain," he said. "You lose everything -- everything you know -- and just kind of come blind. I'm at the point now where nothing can really faze me, thanks to my experiences, thanks to the traveling I've done. I feel I can take on anything."
Altidore, the former Boca Prep star, is expected to leave for training with his new club on Monday.
Known for its free-flowing style of play, the Dutch League hasn't featured an American player since Michael Bradley, Altidore's teammate on the U.S. national team. Bradley scored a career-best 16 goals in 2007-08 while playing in Holland.
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