Andy Iro

Andy Iro

Iro preparing for his first MLS game, 29 March 2008
Personal information
Full name	Andy Iro
Date of birth	(1984-11-26) 26 November 1984 (age 32)
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
	Kingsley United
	St. Edwards
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2007	UC Santa Barbara Gauchos	86	(10)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2011	Columbus Crew	58	(5)
2011	Toronto FC	13	(0)
2012–2013	Stevenage	0	(0)
2012–2013	→ Barnet (loan)	9	(1)
Total		80	(6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Andy Iro (born 26 November 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played primarily as a defender.

Iro played college soccer for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player (Defensive) for the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship en route to winning the national championship. He was drafted by Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. He spent four seasons in MLS, joining Toronto FC for part of his last season, before playing in England from 2012 to 2013 with Stevenage F.C. and Barnet F.C..

Iro was born on 26 November 1984 in Liverpool, England. His parents, Paul and Rose, both immigrated from Nigeria, eventually settling in the Toxteth area of Liverpool. He played youth football for Kingsley United. He attended St. Edwards, where he competed on the school's soccer, rugby, and track teams. He trialed with Everton F.C., but ultimately proved unsuccessful.

At the age of 17, Iro founded and operated a local grocery with a $1,000 initial loan from his mother, Rose. He ran the store until he was 19 years old, doing brisk business, until an attempted robbery resulted in Iro getting shot in the thigh. Iro had a relative run the business while he bounced between jobs and unemployment, eventually connecting with the University of California, Santa Barbara for an athletic scholarship.

Iro was a student-athlete for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team and started as a freshman as the team went to the championship match of the 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. Iro and UCSB were victorious in the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship just two years later with Iro being named the College Cup's Most Outstanding Player (Defensive). For his career, Iro made 86 appearances, all starts, for the Gauchos and added 10 goals and 4 assists. He was a four-time All-Big West Conference First Team selection and was named as back-to-back-to-back Big West Defensive Player Of The Year.