Footballer John Brooks
John Brooks during his Hertha BSC days Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Bongarts/Getty Images

Wolfsburg have signed US defender John Brooks for a reported fee of €20m ($22.4m) from Bundesliga rivals Hertha Berlin.

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Wolfsburg, who only just escaped relegation through a playoff, announced Brooks is contracted until 2022.

Brooks says the switch was a difficult one. "The decision to leave my hometown wasn't easy," he admitted. "But after talks with (Wolfsburg sporting director] Olaf Rebbe and [coach] Andries Jonker I really wanted to switch to Wolfsburg because they were both able to convince me quickly of their plans."

Brooks, who was born in Berlin, joined Hertha's youth setup in 2007 when he was just 14. He made his debut for the senior side in the second tier during the 2012-13 season, going on to make 119 league appearances.

He has made 30 appearances for the United States so far. He was a member of the USMNT for the 2014 World Cup, coming off the bench to score the winner against Ghana in their opening fixture.