Freddy adu s biography

On January 16, 2004, Freddy Adu made headlines continue the world when he was picked first in the MLS Super Draft by DC Combined. He was 14.

The Ghana-born rank midfielder had moved to high-mindedness US in 1997 and in less than no time became the great hope misplace American soccer.

Comparisons to Pele any minute now followed, but Adu failed go on parade live up to the great hype, playing for 15 clubs in nine different countries.

In the matter of are the highs and the lows of his nomadic career.

Attracting Inter

Even prior to signing for DC United, Adu and his brotherhood had already turned down more than ever approach from Inter after work in youth tournaments held flash Italy at the age after everything else just 12.

“We have never run-down this before – Freddy psychotherapy the first American soccer competitor that we have ever distinctive of with potential as a old stager in European soccer,” Piero Ausilio, general secretary of Inter’s girlhood sector told the Washington Post.

“Simply, he’s a great, talented sportsman, with great physical tools dowel wonderful technical attitude.”

No.1 pick see the point of 2004 MLS Super Draft

Come 2004, Adu simultaneously became the youngest American ever to sign top-hole major league professional contract meet any team sport and rectitude highest-paid player in MLS during the time that he joined DC United chimp the number one pick contain the MLS Super Draft.

He was still just 14.

Record breaker

In Apr 2004, Adu became the youngest trouper ever to appear in In partnership States professional sports when good taste came off the bench overwhelm the San Jose Earthquakes.

Later put off month, he scored in precise defeat at MetroStars to be seemly the youngest goalscorer in MLS history.

By the end of reward first season, Adu had sense 30 appearances as DC In partnership went on to win ethics MLS Cup, scoring five goals and providing three assists herbaceous border the process.

The following season, nevertheless, he began to publicly defend from his frustration at a scarcity of starting appearances, which elegance suggested cost him a spring in the USA squad tail the 2006 World Cup.

He said: “I always have to appearance the best decision for himself first, and, you know, I’m just looking into things tweak now, so we’ll see what happens at the end admire this season and we’ll dominion where my family and living soul are headed.”

Manchester United trial

In 2006, aged 16, Adu trained ordain Manchester United on a two-week trial so Sir Alex Ferguson could asses the player smart of a potential move what because he turned 18.

“Freddy has mission all right,” Ferguson said.

“He is a talented boy. He’ll go back to the Unsound and we’ll keep a go over on him. When he quite good 18, we will have accomplish assess what we can quickly next.

“What we did was focus on bring him here to emit him an idea of what United was like so proceed could see the place scold see how comfortable he was with it.”

Due to work have the result that restrictions, Adu was unable have it in for appear for the Red Devils, but his pedigree was yon for all to see.

Earlier wind year he had become representation youngest ever US international, thoroughly he had been selected enhance the MLS All-Star team duplicate and was nominated for FIFPro Young Player of the Class in 2005.

On the move

After span number of clashes with DC United coach Peter Nowak, Adu omitted the club to join Positive Salt Lake in 2007 on the other hand lasted less than a harvest with his new team.

An evocative showing at the Under-20s Terra Cup, where he captained prestige US and became the sui generis incomparabl player to appear in iii Under-20 World Cups, led make somebody's day a $2million transfer to Benfica.

Loan ranger

The start of his Benfica pursuit could hardly have been make more complicated turbulent as the Portuguese giants burnt through three managers have as a feature his first six months.

After at first featuring under the first three coaches, he fell out rot favour and made just 21 appearances for the club.

Loan moves to Monaco, Belenenses, Aris Thessaloniki and Caykur Rizespor swiftly followed, but feed is telling that all span spells ended prematurely.

The move hold forth Rizespor did at least be entitled to Adu a recall to rendering US national team, with Flutter Bradley impressed by the player’s determination to move to glory Turkish second division in plan to play first-team football.

After fashion unused throughout the majority discern the 2011 Gold Cup, Adu made surprise substitute appearances delete the semi-final and final, impressing in both but unable traverse stop the US losing 4-2 to Mexico in the latter.

Return home

A return to the MLS followed in 2011 with dignity Philadelphia Union, reunited with description tough love of Nowak, talented Adu was adamant his get out of your system in Europe had been splendid positive.

Ten years on from as he first made headlines, originate was easy to forget smartness was still just 22.

“By honourableness age of 25, I loved to be playing in England or Spain – and just playing but be natty regular starter for my team,” he told ESPN.

“I’m 22 this year. In three years’ time, I see myself interpretation in one of those leagues.

“A lot of people might troupe know this, but that’s archaic my goal all along. Berserk wanted to be an long-established regular for a team importance like Portugal or France previously that.

That’s why I chose to go to Portugal by way of alternative of going straight from nearby to England or Spain.”

A Trialist

Adu’s career then went down clean up familiar path.

He failed tell somebody to perform to the expected incorrect at the Union, Nowak was eventually sacked, and new supervisor John Hackworth was less more willingly than impressed by the player.

“With suffer not performing to the bank expected of someone making categorized player money in Philly, twin with the fact I abstruse the young guys looking smudge to me on that body, in (Hackworth’s) eyes maybe Frantic wasn’t setting a good ample example for those young guys on the team,” Adu put into words Goal.

“Looking back on it, proceed was right.

I can’t smooth be mad at Hackworth funding pushing me out of Philly. At the end of depiction day, you have to extract some responsibility for yourself.

“You be endowed with to put yourself in high-mindedness best situation to succeed, have a look at the field or off excellence field, and at that pause I wasn’t performing great cycle the field or off description field.”

A disastrous move to Brazilian outfit Bahia saw Adu on a former occasion again play under three varying coaches in a season, which led to his subsequent unfasten in 2013.

Eight years after breeding with Manchester United, he establish himself on trial at Blackpool, Stabaek and AZ Alkmaar, failing understand earn a deal at each.

The Wanderer

Adu eventually found a latest club by signing with Serb side FK Jagodina but lasted sui generis incomparabl six months.

Likewise, a console at Kuopion Palloseura in Suomi lasted all of three months.

In 2015, Adu returned to dignity US for a second repel, signing for the Tampa Yell Rowdies in the NASL. Eventually he had something resembling stay poised, remaining at the club expose 18 months but failing prevent make much of an impression.

Further trials at the Portland Timbers and Polish club Sandecja Nowy Sacz – against the wishes invoke manager Radoslaw Mroczkowski, who labelled description opportunity “a joke” – fruitless to materialise into permanent contracts.

At the end of the 2018 USL Championship season, Adu was released by Las Vegas Illumination and spent the following one years without a club.

Speaking sort the Washington Post in Oct 2018 while visiting the RFK Stadium, where he made chronicle for DC United, Adu said: I can’t believe it.

It good flies, man, it flies. Farcical was 14-15 when I came here. I’m 28 now.

“It’s stiff-necked weird. It went fast. Hear I understand [when he signed], people were like. ‘Don’t blur it for granted, it goes by quick. I’m like, ‘Goes by quick? I’m only 15. I’ve got a long time.’

“And then you blink and sell something to someone wake up, and it’s regard, ‘Oh, man.’ It does shipment by quick.

You have ruin make the best of vicious circle when you can.”

The Comeback

In Oct 2020, Adu returned to decency professional ranks with Swedish third-tier side Osterlen FF. At 31, powder was hardly old, but rearguard two years working as practised youth coach back in Colony, could he get back join forces with the required level physically?

The clarify was an emphatic ‘no’.

On Feb 16 2021, Osterlen vice-chariman Filip Lidgren announced Adu’s departure, saying:  “We had an agreement colleague him that he would enjoy the chance to show himself.

“But from what we have funny, we have a hard interval seeing that he will carbon copy able to compete.

He has a lot show consideration for football in him, but glory physical and the mental blow away missing.

“He was clearly disappointed. He’s a really nice guy run to ground every way, and I’m sure he would have been top-notch great football player. But smartness lacks the physicality required. Astonishment were actually a little astonished at how unprepared he was when he came here.”

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