Phenom turns pro - Freddy Adu, 14, signs with MLS team

By Joseph White ~ The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Spurning overtures from some of the world's greatest clubs, 14-year-old American soccer phenom Freddy Adu signed a six-year deal with MLS. He will join D.C. United next season.

Adu is expected to become the youngest player for a U.S. professional top-level team in more than 100 years -- since 14-year-old Fred Chapman debuted for Philadelphia of major league baseball's American Association in 1887.

MLS will take full advantage of its signing coup by formally introducing Adu at New York's Madison Square Garden today. The player whose talents have brought comparisons with Pele -- and who just might be the player who puts pro soccer in the popular mainstream in the United States -- will then appear on the "Late Show With David Letterman."

"He is widely considered the best young soccer player in the world," commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday. "And we believe that playing in his home country, in MLS, will further develop him as a player and, most importantly, as a person."

Adu was courted extensively courtship by Manchester United and other blue chip European teams. He chose to remain near his home in Potomac, Md., where he and his family have lived since immigrating from Ghana in 1997.

"We wanted to allow Freddy to pursue his dreams and develop his God-given talents," said Adu's mother, Emelia. "As he makes this next step at the age of 14, it was best for Freddy to stay in America and sign with MLS."

Adu will be a Project-40 player -- an MLS program designed to accelerate the development of top young Americans while awarding them college scholarships for use in future years. He will be eligible for January's draft.

The Dallas Burn hold the first overall pick in the draft, but they agreed to trade the selection to United as a stipulation for Adu's signing.

"They get that pick, and we get a major player allocation," Burn spokesman Chris Ward said.

Adu's development has been watched closely for years. He was a high school All-American as a freshman and attended the U.S. Under-14 boys' national team camp in 2001. He began playing for the U.S. Under-17 team last year at age 13, scoring 22 goals in 2002 and a team-leading 29 goals in 46 matches this year.

He led the U.S. team to the quarterfinals of the Under-17 world championships in Finland in August, scoring three goals in the opening match and the winning goal in the second game.

Born June 2, 1989, Adu currently trains with the Under-17 team in Bradenton, Fla., where he is also expected to receive his high school diploma in May -- just days before his 15th birthday.

Adu has occasionally trained with D.C. United and will be a welcome boost for a team that struggled to score goals this season. United made the playoffs for the first time in four years, but were eliminated in the first round by a pair of shutouts against Chicago.

"I grew up watching MLS, and I look forward to the challenge," said Adu, who was undergoing a league physical exam Tuesday night. "This league will help me develop as a player, and I hope I can leave my mark as soon as possible."

The youngest player in the seven-year history of MLS is D.C. United's Santino Quaranta, who made his first appearance at age 16 on May 9, 2001.