The Rise and Fall of Freddy Adu: From Young American Football Prodigy to Failed Career

The 14-year-old (!) debutant who was sent away by AZ after just one week

Friday, October 20, 2023 at 5:00 PM

Young football players who are predicted to have a great future. It happens regularly. The world is their oyster and agents with dollar signs in their eyes ensure that these talents can move to dream clubs for millions. However, many of these growth stars do not live up to expectations for various reasons. Voetbalzone delves into the history of failed football players. In this section a player is highlighted every week. This time we focus on the career of the American Freddy Adu.

By Koen Wulms

It is June 2005, the match at the Under-20 World Cup between the United States and Argentina is scheduled to take place in Enschede. At that time, this match was mainly known as the match between two top talents in both countries. Freddy Adu, born on June 2, 1989, takes on ‘his’ America against Lionel Messi’s Argentina. This match ultimately ends in a 1-0 victory for the Americans, but the then sixteen-year-old Adu cannot yet make his mark in that match, while Messi succeeds with a few dribbles on the Argentinian side.

At that time, the American top talent had already been playing professional football for more than a year, as he made his debut in April 2004 at the age of fourteen on behalf of DC United, which plays in Major League Soccer. This makes Adu the youngest professional footballer in the world. Nike also noticed this, which offered him a mega contract a few months after his debut. At that time, the young American was already labeled as ‘the new Pelé’, earned $400,000 a year and was the head of many brands. During this time, Adu is doing an internship at Manchester United, among other things. The teenager would play for two years in Washington, before deciding at the end of 2006 to leave the club where he made his first minutes in professional football after 96 appearances in the main squad.

After his period at DC United, Adu left for Real Salt Lake in January 2007. The reason for this is that he can play in his favorite position at his new club. In Salt Lake City, the attacking midfielder made eleven appearances in six months, in which he scored once.

Freddy Adu in action for Benfica

Departure to Europe
After this adventure in his home country, Adu decides to leave for Europe, which for him is ‘the promised land’. Benfica is very happy at that moment with the signature of the only eighteen-year-old player. This transfer involves approximately one and a half million euros. A bargain, according to many.

In Adu’s first year in Portugal, he made eleven appearances in the competition, without starting once. As a result, the decision has been made to rent out the Ghana-born midfielder. After four rental periods at AS Monaco, Belenenses, Aris Saloniki and Rizespor, in which he only played 39 times in total, Adu decided to give up his European adventure for the time being and return to his homeland in 2011.

Back to MLS
After shining at the Gold Cup in 2011, Philadelphia Union offers Adu the chance to play in the MLS again. In Philadelphia, Adu plays under coach John Hackworth, with whom he also worked with the US Under 17 team. Hackworth was then an assistant coach and Adu had such a good relationship with his teacher that he often visited his home. Once they arrived in big men’s football, the bond between the two deteriorated. Adu’s lack of professionalism and focus causes him to clash with his trainer at Philadelphia Union. ”In recent years, Adu’s main priority has not been to make the most of his potential as a footballer. Freddy is focused on himself. He thinks everything should be about him and not about the team,” Hackworth says about his pupil.

After Adu ended up sidetracked at Philadelphia Union due to his lack of discipline, he decides to go on another adventure abroad. This time, Adu, who was only 24 at the time, will not cross the ocean, but will play for the Brazilian EC Bahia. In Brazil, the American only plays four times in six months.

Freddy Adu during his internship period at AZ

After this umpteenth failed adventure, Adu finds himself without a club for almost a year. Internships at Blackpool, Stabaek and also AZ came to nothing. In Alkmaar, Adu is sent away after just one week because he cannot cope with the level. Ultimately, it is FK Jagodina from Serbia that runs away with the signature of the former top talent. Here too, the former prodigy does not excel, given the fact that he does not play a single competitive match for the Serbian club.

Last trick
Ultimately, Adu’s career fizzles out. After his time in Serbia, he continues his wanderings through Finland, America and Sweden. At his last club, Österlen FF, which plays in the third level of Sweden, Adu does not play a single minute. In 2021, the then 31-year-old American decided to hang up his football boots for good.

End of career
In total, Adu played for fifteen clubs in seventeen years. In addition, the counter for international matches remained at seventeen matches, in which he was accurate twice. He played these international matches between the ages of 16 and 23. Currently, Adu, who was labeled ‘the future of football’ together with Messi, trains young children who dream of a career as a professional footballer. He tries to teach the children what it takes to make it in professional football, something Adu forgot during his own career. He knows this himself: ”I would prefer to get all the trainers I have had over the years together for a meeting. I would stand in front of them and apologize collectively,” says Adu when he looks back on what he has done wrong with the many trainers he has had.

2023-10-20 18:44:00
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