Freddy Adu hasn’t played professional soccer since 2018, leaving many to assume his well-traveled career was over. Now comes word out of Sweden that the 31-year-old American is ready to resume his career with a return overseas.
Swedish fourth division club Osterlen FF is set to sign Adu, Expressen reported Wednesday. The club has secured promotion to the third division for 2021, when Adu is expected to join the club in January, a source confirmed to SBI.
“A lot is happening now,” Osterlen sporting director Malik Sesay said. “Through our network we have made contact with Adu who had a sabbatical during Corona and wants to resume his career. He has kept running his training and will come to Skåne in November.”
Adu began his playing career in 2004 with D.C. United, but has bounced around in the years since. The 31-year-old has earned 17 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team and also played domestically in Finland, Portugal, and France while featuring for the Philadelphia Union.
The attacking forward last played with USL side Las Vegas Lights FC in 2018, scoring one goal in 14 appearances.
His move to Sweden will see him join fellow Americans Aron Johannsson, Mix Diskerud, and Romain Gall, who all currently play in the Allsvenskan.
“HARD WORK BEATS TALENT WHEN TALENT FAILS TO WORK HARD”
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This sums up the career of Freddy Adu. When you look at his early resume and listen to what people like Jozy Altidore, Dax MaCarty, Arnold Tarzy (the man to discover Adu when he was just eight)……they all said the same thing, that Adu was incredibly talented
But maybe that talent was his curse because he never had the work too hard in his early years as he never really needed it. Things always came so easy for him at a youth level but then he gets to the pros where nothing is freely given to you, and he wasn’t ready (physically and mentally) for this different world of people constantly fighting / competing for the “top spot”. If Adu had a MICHAEL BRADLEY / LANDON DONOVAN / KYLE BECKERMAN WORK ETHIC and mindset to go with his abilities…like we would be talking about one of the best American players right now
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Talent and hard-work HAVE to go hand in hand…….
Best luck of Bud. You gave us some real entertaining games (like Brazil, under 20’s 2007).
Sadly bad career choices and Americanphobia ruining what could been outstanding player.
Good luck to him. Hope he can sort it out enough to at least enjoy the game again…
The Ultimate cautionary story. All the talent in the world, but no work ethic and unwilling to listen to anyone
I always think that Adu situation was one of the biggest tragedies in the history of US Soccer. The kid was talented… no question. I saw him play many times and live once in that 2011 game for Bradley. He was the best player for the USA on the field that day. Why he could never stick any place is beyond me. You think maybe somebody could have got into his head and straightened him out. So now he’s going to a 3’d division Swedish team and he’s a bit old. I dont give him much chance and I feel bad for him too. Such a waste
He did an interview maybe last year where he basically said it was his fault that multiple and clubs tried to get him to focus on what mattered and he just didn’t. I think Carleton is headed down the same path. Hopefully Andrew figures it out before he’s 30.
I think it was an interview other than what johnnyraor saw because I think it was a couple of years ago. Anyway, Adu pretty much flat out said that he partied too much and practiced too little. Additionally I would add that he had no interest in playing defense and the modern player has to go both ways. He clearly was the most technically proficient of all Americans for a while, at least. He has the distinction of being the first player to score a hat trick in a WC youth tournament, I think it was a U-17. I remember watching that game and he was clearly fouled in the box (confirmed on replay)yet the ref gave him a yellow card for diving. He should have had 4 goals that day. Since then, of course, his record has been broken. I think it was Haaland who scored something like 7 a couple of years ago against Honduras.
At the end of the day it’s up to the player to make sure they are prepared for everything that happens on/off the field, but I think a lot of his path was set by his lack of guidance in the early years.
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Obviously he didn’t have the infrastructure to grow up in that is available to kids coming up now, but today’s example of Brenden Aaronson is in stark contrast to the world that Freddy came up in. Brenden has been taught how to be a pro since he was 10.
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It’s a real shame that no-one stepped up to teach Adu how to be a true professional.
Good to see that at 36 years old, he’s still trying to hang in there as a pro.
Gotta call in those euro based players am I right?
He’s always performed well “in the shirt”, huge star on our youth teams, who cares about club form snobbery. Checks all the boxes Berhalter’s an idiot not to bring him in this camp. Right?
the last time he was capped bradley was in charge. don’t be silly. and 2011 is vastly different than played — and produced — under sarachan just 2 years ago and during this same cycle. weah had a goal for sarachan. bobby wood had three. horvath started twice under sarachan, played three times, and allowed 3 goals in 3 games to italy chile portugal. green had a goal against france in a 1-1 tie in a few sarachan appearances. comparing that to adu playing gold cup 2011 under bradley only makes you look silly. i mean, he couldn’t even keep a job in USL. i am glad freddy is back playing someplace if he wants to keep trying. i wish all our alums well. but comparing him to my more recent suggestions with cap histories this cycle is gross exaggeration.
Think you may have missed the sarcasm there
Joe beat me to it. Um, did you miss the sarcasm in that statement about the “shirt?”
Had a nice little chuckle when I read this. Well played