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Report: Freddy Adu to trial with Las Vegas Lights FC

Freddy Adu hasn’t played professional soccer in over a year, but he isn’t hanging up his boots quite yet.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the former teenage star is trying to get his career started again with USL expansion side Las Vegas Lights FC. He will join the club on a tryout basis this preseason.

Adu hasn’t played professional soccer in more than a year and took the entirety of 2017 off. He recently spoke to Goal.com about his desire to return to the game and not call it a career quite yet.

“I’ve never, ever come close to thinking about retiring,” he said. “I can’t see my life without soccer and my eyes were wide open this year while I wasn’t playing. It’s so a part of me that when it’s not there, there’s a big hole. I love it so much, I want to get back to it, but I want to do it the right way.”

His last attempt at a career revival came last summer in Poland, when he thought he was signing with Sandecja Nowy Sacz in the Ekstraklasa, Poland’s first division. However, the move fell through when the head coach of the team didn’t clear the sporting director to make the move.

Before that, he had a preseason trial with the Portland Timbers that didn’t lead anywhere.

The time off has only increased the former wonder-teen’s desire to resurrect his career.

“The last year I’ve been trying to just stay low key, spend time with my family, and train to get back playing,” Adu said. “I obviously want to get back into playing because that’s what I love to do. And being away from soccer so long, I miss it man. I miss it more than anything else in the world. I’m 28, I’ve got plenty of career left in me, and plenty of soccer left in me, so I’m trying to make the right decision.”

He’s come to terms that a lower division club is the way to go, as evidenced by this latest effort to latch on to a USL side.

“Wherever I’m going to go, whether it’s third division, second division, it doesn’t matter to me anymore because all I care about is getting my career back on track and I have to start somewhere, especially after not playing for a whole year. It just has to be the right situation and the right environment that’s going to help me.

“I just want to play soccer again. I miss it. I want to be around the guys, going to training every morning, being back on the field.”

Comments

  1. There have always been questions about Adu’s birthdate. I think the big reason he was so dominate as a 14yr old is because he wasn’t 14.
    He was definately talented, but at the ages where he should have been honing his skills against boys his own age or older, he was actually playing against kids younger. Once he got to the pro level, he stopped developing and his career is what it is.

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  2. Wherever I’m going to go, whether it’s third division, second division, it doesn’t matter to me anymore because all I care about is getting my career back on track and I have to start somewhere, especially after not playing for a whole year.”

    that’s right, freddy. i suggest you execute that plan, it will work out well for you.

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  3. It sounds like the negotiations with the 3rd division Swedish club earlier this year went nowhere – not a great sign but i wish him the best.

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  4. Not trying to bring up a sore subject but his total failure all started when he was thrown to the wolves at 15 as being the greatest thing ever and MLS signed him. He was nothing more than a promotional puppet to the powers at be in MLS. Ernie Stewart said in an interview a few years ago that Adu was in the sidelines doing interviews and promo things more than he was training and practicing. How can you let a kid in his most important developmental years do that. And I know not all young talents reach their full potential but his kid didn’t have a shot in MLS. Good luck Freddy

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    • Adu “didn’t have a shot in MLS”….he’s had 3+ shots…..
      DC United (his highest number of appearances)
      Real Salt Lake
      Philadelphia Union (2nd highest # of appearances)
      Than Trials w/ Portland and I think FC Dallas.
      Freddy has represented 13 clubs in his career, 7 of his stops had fewer than 10 appearances, and only 2 stops had more than 20 appearances. At some point its not about clubs giving him a chance, it about the player failing to take advantage of the chances he’s been given. I can’t think of any other player who’s been given more opportunities than Freddy has, with as little return.

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  5. Oh man. I am still support Adu not being part ‘South Africa 2010’ was a mistake.
    But, Adu made worst mistake of his life not signing with Inter!! Adu was such badass in 2007…that beautiful assist to Altidore!

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  6. Hey got admire him for going for it. The easy route is to mock him, because he really hasn’t been able to make it in MLS for a while now, but then rooting for other players to make it just because they never have ( and like him probably won’t) really doesn’t make sense.

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