Freddy Adu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Freddy Adu

Adu with the United States at the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Personal information
Full name	Fredua Koranteng Adu
Date of birth	(1989-06-02) June 2, 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Tema, Ghana
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder, forward
Youth career
1997–2001	Potomac Cougars
2002–2003	IMG Academy
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2006	D.C. United	87	(11)
2007	Real Salt Lake	11	(1)
2007–2011	Benfica	11	(2)
2008–2009	→ Monaco (loan)	9	(0)
2009	→ Belenenses (loan)	3	(0)
2010	→ Aris (loan)	9	(1)
2011	→ Çaykur Rizespor (loan)	13	(4)
2011–2013	Philadelphia Union	35	(7)
2013	Bahia	2	(0)
2014	Jagodina	0	(0)
2015	KuPS	5	(0)
2015	→ KuFu-98 (loan)	3	(2)
2015–2016	Tampa Bay Rowdies	13	(0)
2018	Las Vegas Lights	14	(1)
2021	Österlen FF	0	(0)
Total		215	(29)
International career
2002–2003	United States U17	15	(16)
2003–2009	United States U20	33	(16)
2008–2012	United States U23	11	(5)
2006–2011	United States	17	(2)
Medal record Representing  United States Men's soccer FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up 2009 South Africa CONCACAF Gold Cup Runner-up 2009 United States Runner-up 2011 United States
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fredua Koranteng "Freddy" Adu (born June 2, 1989) is an American former professional soccer player. He played as an attacking midfielder. When he was 14, people called Adu "the next Pelé". He signed with D.C. United at that young age. After 2006, he played for many teams. He played for fifteen teams in nine countries. These countries included the United States, Portugal, and Sweden. His last team was Österlen FF in 2021.

Freddy Adu broke several records at D.C. United. He became the youngest athlete to sign a pro contract in the U.S. He was only 14 years old. This happened after D.C. United picked him in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft in January 2004. Three months later, he played in a Major League Soccer (MLS) game. This made him the youngest player to appear in an MLS game. He came in as a substitute against the San Jose Earthquakes. Other players, Maximo Carrizo and Cavan Sullivan, have since broken these records.

Adu first played for the U.S. national team when he was 16 in 2006. He played 17 games for his country. He was part of the U.S. teams in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played in the CONCACAF Gold Cups in 2009 and 2011. He also played for the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Early Life and Moving to the U.S.

Freddy Adu was born and grew up in Tema, Ghana. He played soccer there against men much older than him. In 1997, when he was eight, his family moved to Rockville, Maryland, in the United States. His mother, Emelia Adu, won a green card lottery. He went to Sequoyah Elementary School there.

In February 2003, Adu became a U.S. citizen. A local soccer coach found him soon after he arrived. He started playing with boys several years older. Adu went to The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland. He played in an under-14 tournament with the U.S. Olympic Development Program. His team won, and he was the top scorer. He was also named the MVP (Most Valuable Player).

Starting His Professional Soccer Career

Signing with Major League Soccer

At 14, Adu became the youngest American to sign a major professional contract. This was in any team sport. D.C. United chose him as the first pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. MLS helped Adu play close to home. They assigned him to D.C. United on November 18, 2003. D.C. United had signed other young players before. These included Bobby Convey in 2000 and Santino Quaranta in 2001. They were both 16 and the youngest MLS players at the time.

Playing for D.C. United

Adu playing for D.C. United

On April 3, 2004, Adu played his first game for D.C. United. He came in during the second half against the San Jose Earthquakes. This made him the youngest player ever in U.S. professional sports. On April 17, he scored his first professional goal. He was 14 years old. This made him the youngest player in MLS history to score. In his first year, Adu scored five goals and had three assists. He played in all 30 regular season games. He helped D.C. United win the MLS Cup. He played in three of four playoff games.

Some people thought Adu was too young for professional play. They felt he needed more time to grow. In his second season, he was suspended for one game. This was because he complained about his playing time. In November 2006, Adu trained with English club Manchester United. He could not get a work permit, so he could not play in real games. He only trained with their academy players. He improved his defensive skills and became a starting midfielder in 2006. Adu was chosen for the MLS All-Star team twice. He was also nominated for FIFPRO Young Player of the Year in 2005.

Moving to Real Salt Lake

On December 11, 2006, D.C. United traded Adu to Real Salt Lake. He made his debut for Real Salt Lake on April 7, 2007. He played the whole game in a 2–2 tie with FC Dallas. He scored his first goal for the club on May 20, 2007. It was a penalty kick in a 2–1 loss to FC Dallas. Adu also scored another penalty goal in a game against Boca Juniors. Adu was also the captain of the U-20 U.S. national team in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played very well in that tournament. After the tournament, Benfica from Portugal bought Adu's rights for $2 million.

Playing for Benfica and Loan Spells

On July 30, 2007, Benfica announced that Adu had joined their club. He cost Benfica US$2 million. On August 14, 2007, Adu played his first game for Benfica. It was a UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Copenhagen.

Loan to AS Monaco

In July 2008, Adu joined AS Monaco in France on a loan. He stayed for one season. Monaco decided not to keep him permanently.

Loan to Belenenses

Adu was then loaned to Portuguese club Belenenses for the 2009–10 season. He made his first league start on October 13. He got injured and his loan ended early in December 2009.

Loan to Aris

In January 2010, Adu signed a loan deal with Greek team Aris. He joined fellow U.S. player Eddie Johnson there. He made his debut on January 31 and helped Johnson score a goal. He scored his first goal on February 14 against Ergotelis.

Loan to Çaykur Rizespor

On February 1, 2011, Adu moved to Turkish team Çaykur Rizespor on his fourth loan from Benfica. He made his debut on February 20. He helped his teammates score goals in a 3–0 win. He was named Man of the Match. Two weeks later, Adu scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win.

Returning to Major League Soccer

After his contract with Benfica ended in August 2011, Adu came back to Major League Soccer. He signed with Philadelphia Union. He reunited with his old coach, Piotr Nowak. Adu played his first game for Philadelphia Union on August 13. He scored his first goal for the club on September 7, 2011.

Playing in Brazil and Europe

On April 5, 2013, Adu joined Bahia in Brazil. He was released by the club on November 7, 2013. After that, he tried out for several teams in Europe. In February 2014, Adu trained with Blackpool in England. They did not offer him a contract. In June 2014, he trained with Norwegian club Stabæk.

In July 2014, Adu tried out for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. He did not get a contract there either.

Playing for Jagodina

After his trial with AZ, Adu signed with Serbian club FK Jagodina on July 24, 2014. He signed a one-and-a-half-year contract. Adu played his only game for Jagodina on September 24, 2014. He came in as a substitute in a cup match. Jagodina released Adu on December 21, 2014.

Playing in Finland

On March 28, 2015, KuPS in Finland signed Adu for one year. Adu also played some games for KuPS' reserve team, SC Kufu. On July 7, Adu ended his contract with KuPS.

Playing for Tampa Bay Rowdies

On July 14, 2015, the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League signed Adu. This was his 12th professional club. Adu played 13 games for the club. He was released after the 2016 season.

Playing for Las Vegas Lights FC

Before the 2017 MLS season, Adu tried out for the Portland Timbers but did not get a contract. He also tried out for Polish team Sandecja Nowy Sącz in August 2017. Adu then joined the new team Las Vegas Lights FC for a trial before the 2018 season. He played in their final preseason match. He played 30 minutes and got an assist. This was his first assist in almost three years. On March 15, 2018, Las Vegas added Adu to their team. Adu played 14 games and scored one goal in 2018. Las Vegas released him at the end of the season.

Playing for Österlen FF

On October 14, 2020, after two years away from playing, Adu joined Österlen FF in Sweden. He had been working as a youth soccer coach. Adu was excited to play professional soccer again. He said he "skipped a lot of steps in the past but now he gets a chance to do it right." On February 16, 2021, Adu's contract was ended by Österlen FF. The club said he was not fit enough. Adu said there was a "power struggle" in the club. The manager, Agim Sopi, said Adu was "totally untrained" and lacked "mental strength."

International Soccer Career

Playing for Youth Teams

Adu played for the United States in five international youth tournaments. These included the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Adu was captain of the U.S. under-20 team in 2007. They qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. By playing in the 2007 tournament, Adu became only the second player to play in three FIFA U-20 World Cups. On July 3, 2007, Adu scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a 6–1 win over Poland. This made him the first player to score a hat trick in both the U-20 and U-17 World Cups. He also helped set up two goals in a 2–1 win over Brazil.

Adu helped the U.S. under-23 team qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Canada. This win helped them qualify for the Olympics. He scored four goals in total in three games. He was chosen for the tournament's Best XI team.

Adu was part of the 18-player squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played in the first two games against Japan and Netherlands. He helped set up a goal in the Netherlands match. The U.S. team was eliminated after losing to Nigeria.

Playing for the Senior Team

The Ghana national team tried to recruit Adu early in his career. He thought about playing for Ghana but chose the U.S. team. Coach Bruce Arena called Adu to the U.S. national team training camp in January 2006. Adu played in a friendly game against Canada on January 22. He was 16 years and 234 days old. This made him the youngest player to play for the U.S. national team.

Adu started his first game for the senior team on November 17, 2007, against South Africa. He played in two World Cup qualifying games against Barbados in June 2008. He helped set up a goal in the second game. Adu scored his first international goal on November 19, 2008. He was 19 years old. It was a free kick in a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.

Adu was surprisingly included in the U.S. team for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He had not played for the national team for two years. He came in as a substitute in the semifinal against Panama. Adu's pass helped Landon Donovan set up Clint Dempsey for the winning goal. Adu started the final game against Mexico. He helped with both of the U.S. goals, but they lost 4–2.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Adu goal.

List of international goals scored by Freddy Adu

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	November 19, 2008	Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, United States	Guatemala	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	July 5, 2009	Qwest Field, Seattle, United States	Grenada	1–0	4–0	2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Awards and Achievements

D.C. United

• MLS Cup: 2004

United States

• FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2009
• CONCACAF Gold Cup runner-up: 2009, 2011

See also

In Spanish: Freddy Adu para niños