Have you heard of this American kid named Freddy Adu? He's a 13 years old footballer (huh soccer player in some of your vocabuary, but you know I don't like the name of soccer).. He's already 5'8" and about 140 pounds. At 12, a major Italian club (Inter or Juve) reportedly offered him a 6-figure package to sign for them. But he turned it down because his mum thought it's better for him to go when he's older. And the MLS (or whatever the US league's called) wanted to use him to promote the league before letting him go to Europe. At 13, he became the youngest American player ever to make a national team when he represented the USA Under-17 football team. He's expected to become America’s 1st breakout international football superstar and lead the US in World Cup. I've watched his footage. He's amazing. If you are interested, I can post some articles and footage here. And yeah if you know about him and have some more info about this kid, let me know. He's a true wonderkid!!!
Articles: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2003/03/03/freddy/ http://www.msnbc.com/news/850564.asp?0cb=-71n5737&cp1=1 http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/national/2003-03-05-adu_x.htm http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=261276&cc=5739 Footage clips: http://www.richardefidler.com/usasoccerclips/u17wc.html The kid sounds and looks like a star in the making!!!
More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/grant_wahl/news/2003/02/27/wahl_soccer/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/2831277.stm http://www.planetfootball.com/artic...pid=8&title=Adu+leads+US+to+Newcastle+success
Sounds like this kid would be a hell of an option quarterback. Or at least a Barry Sanders type halfback. Too bad he's wasting his talents on a sport like soccer.
I saw him on tv, the kid is freaking awesome. He was born in Africa I believe, so he's been playing soccer since he could walk.
Nah, 6 figure contract at the age of 12 is nothing to look down at. He prolly get some thing like $20 million a year if he is really that good when goes and play in Europe. I think football is kind of lame where players can get "cut" and lose part of a contract. You can get sold in Soccer but atleast you get paid.
He does seem promising, but 13 is too young to say whether he'll make it or not. He needs to come to Europe as soon as his parents see fit though. I'm not casting aspersions at US coaching, but he'll maximise his talent by playing with the best players possible. And that's not going to happen in the USA. Bear in mind that most US sports still rely on the high school/college route to professional sport. Teams like Ajax, Manchester United, Juventus et al have considerable experience and money invested in their youth training schemes. Ajax in particular has an excellent reputation in this regard.
Believe me, the benefit of becoming the next Ronaldo or the next Zidane is WAY MORE than becoming the next whoever American football superstar called (Sorry for my ignorance but I can't even name one). Worldwide fame, international status, fandom, money etc etc... Football (huh soccer) is the most popular and most played sport in the world. Fact.
Ajax is considered to have the best youth center in Europe(thus the world). But I'm sure it'll be an Italien team that get's this kid,coz when money is involved they always gets it. ALA
I'm not going to duscuss Europeen economic structure with u now(end of day for me,too tired) but Real Madrid has huge debts buying(no trades just contracts being bought) those players. It a cruel world... ALA (BTW u forgot Ronaldo )
i think it was espn (or some sports show) that had a feature on him several months ago. pretty impressive. hopefully he makes the US great. but soccer blows anyways except for every 4 years in the world cup. the rest of the world can have soccer the other 3.9 years. hey look, we tied 1-1, isn't that exciting and fulfilling.
a la, I know about the debts that both Barca and Real are carrying at the moment. The fact remains that Real are prepared to splash the cash, even if it is borrowed from the bank. I'm British not American, and I get to see at least one La Liga game a week. BTW, forgot Ronaldo?
This kid is amazing and the future of American soccer, I just hope he doesn't burn out with all the pressure heaped on him.
Zidane was trained as a youth in a French club and made his name there and then moved to Juve at about 22/23 and then moved to Real Madrid at 29. Figo came from a Portugal club and then moved on to Barcelona at about 19/20 and then moved to Real at about 28. Ronaldo of course came from Brazil where he made his name and then moved to Inter Milan at about 19/20 and then moved to Real at 24. Raul is the only player you named who was trained and made his name at Real since he's a youth. He's born and breed there and made his 1st team debut at 17. Real Madrid don't have the best youth academy in the world. They just have so much money to buy those great players. A la rockets is right. Ajax probably have the best youth academy in the world. A lot of top-class young players were produced there and came through their youth ranks. Just this club and their lesser league (Dutch league) are unable to keep those players.
Well actually that's good for u since the Premier league is the last to suffer from the economical clash in football. In France there's a comitee controling and regulating the different budgets of the L1(Fr league),and Platini,if elected as president of the FIFA,is thinking of implanting this around the world. ALA (my bad,misread)
