Courtesy New york Times Maurice Edu has been a professional soccer player for only two years. But in that relatively short period of time, the 22-year-old midfielder has been named Major League Soccer rookie of the year, he has starred for the United States at the Beijing Olympics and he earned a $5 million move to Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. It has been a rapid rise for Edu, who returned to the U.S. this week after about a month in Scotland where he was quickly embraced by Rangers supporters. "The whole culture and the whole atmosphere there is football oriented," Edu said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "When I first got there, before I even signed, the fans were recognizing me. When I was walking out of the airport, the cab driver was asking me if I had signed yet." "The fans are in touch with everything that is going on with their team," he said. And what's going on with Edu? He made his Rangers debut against Kilmarnock on Sept. 14, just days after playing for the U.S. in a 1-0 qualifying victory over Cuba on Sept. 6, and sitting on the bench for the team's 3-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Chicago on Sept. 10. Rangers Manager Walter Smith acknowledged it was a lot to ask a young player to make his debut coming off international duty and a trans-Atlantic trip. Edu has not cracked Smith's lineup since. Still, he is confident that his time will come if he continues to put in the work, which Edu says he is more than willing to do. "Every day, you're really grinding, competing for your position," he said. "It's good for me right now in my career." "I want to make the coach's decision as difficult as possible as to who is going to play," said Edu. "I think there is potential for me to grow every day and learn something new every day. Even small things." Playing in the S.P.L. has forced Edu to focus on getting the ball off his feet sooner, moving quickly and being in better position to receive it again, he said. Playing quickly under pressure is something U.S. Coach Bob Bradley has emphasized during national team training. "When I come into these camps," Edu said, "I feel confident and sharper." "When it's my time, it will be my time," he added. "I'm not trying to rush anything."