Brek Shea has joined the English Premier League side Stoke City on a $3.96 million transfer from Major League Soccer's FC Dallas.

The move makes a lot of sense for all parties: FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman did not always see eye to eye with his big winger. Shea, ranked 30th in the ASN 100, is a hugely ambitious talent who wants to push himself to succeed at the highest levels of the game. MLS got a significant chunk of change. And Stoke City bought low on a player who had a rough 2012 but is well positioned to bounce back.

“It’s fantastic news that we have been able to push through the deal,” club manager Tony Pulis said via the Stoke City Web site. “Brek is a very, very exciting player, and one who we firmly believe could go on to become an outstanding player for this football club."

“He has terrific pace, a very good left foot and is capable of scoring goals," Pulis continued. "He has all the tools needed to be a success here.”

Shea was one of the first players to take the ASN Questionnaire. Here is look at the person behind the player.

Stoke City chief executive Tony Scholes added this: “The transfer has been a complex process, but we wouldn’t have pursued our interest in him if we weren’t confident in his ability and our prospects of completing the transfer. Brek first came to our attention through our scouting system three years ago and we have been tracking his progress ever since.”

Hyndman was gracious as Shea moved abroad: “This is one of those bittersweet situations,” Hyndman told the FC Dallas site. “We are very excited for Brek to take this important step in his career, but we’re also going to miss him here. This will be a good, fresh challenge for Brek, and we believe he is well-prepared and ready to make an impact for Stoke.”

Shea also said all of the right things in his farewell comments, but he did not thank Hyndman specifically.

"I am incredibly grateful for my five years with FC Dallas," he said. "I want to thank the Hunt family, my teammates, the coaching staff, everyone in the front office and especially the FC Dallas fans for their support and encouragement over the years. I also would like to thank MLS and Generation adidas for making it possible for me to start my professional career in the U.S., as well as my family and agents at Wasserman for their never-ending support. Dallas will always be a special place to me and I feel my time here has prepared me well for this exciting, new challenge with Stoke City FC in the Premiership."

What do you think of the move? Do you think Shea will prosper in the EPL? Will he reclaim a spot in the U.S. national team? Share your thoughts below.