I heard gossip, that Adu is really two to four years older, than he pretends to be. Therefore, as a "young" player he distinguished himself, because he got to play among kids, when he was really older than they were... Mind you, this is a common practice in Africa to "tune" someone's age. Adu could have been no exception. Otherwise, he was a commercial hype, rather than a talented player, and to marketed up beyond his actual value as a soccer player.
I'll attempt to take your post seriously... Here he is at 14 at the 2003 U20 WC. So if he is actually 16 or 18, he is still younger or the same age as most of these guys in the U20 WC in 2003. Just so you know this age thing has been a rumor for many years now.
Even if it were true he was 3 years older, that wouldn't explain why at 29 he was moving like a 50 year old. I bet some day we'll know the whole story, and there's an underlying health issue. PS: Those who have followed this kid know a lot of what he did, he did for his family, for his mom. Also, I never bought into the idea that he was a lazy night-lifer. Hope he does well in something else, that he gets a fair shake at commentating or coaching or something. I'm rooting for Freddy, even if his soccer career is over.
Obviously and old article (and not about Adu specifically, but problems faced by, in this case, Nigeria): https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/feb/21/nigerian-football-age-old-problem Nevertheless, I am not saying I know for sure, it was just a gossip, nothing more (I heard the same about Falcao if you believe). To myself though, Adu was too hyped up at too early age. You are not able to tell, if someone will be top world superstar when they are 14 or 16 years old... Last year it was Martial who was to be football god, what about him this year (still good, but any serious progress on the way to "god dome"?) Now it is Mbappe - let's see if he can maintain the pace next season. These guys are already 19 or 20, but we cannot guarantee that they will be best players around yet. Yes, they have talent, but you must be able to continuously prove it at senior level, before you even considered decent, not even reaching excellent level. So Adu was a perfect commercial product. Yes, he may have had some talent at young age (as millions of guys do around the world), but it clearly wasn't enough talent (nor work ethics) to get him well established into senior football. Yet, what they made of him, and what promotion he brought to MLS at first, is theirs! He probably made some nice sum as well!
Your punishment is you will be locked in a small room with Piotr Nowak, a wooden paddle, and a Finnish gothic wizard named @herhilainen, with only Campbell's Soup for consumption. And you will be allowed to Hoover one small corner of empty carpet over and over.
Tomato and rice Campbell's soup used to be a staple in my house growing up, with grilled cheese. Damn it was good. Doesn't work on a low carb diet though. I need to keep my figure. Freddy should cut the carbs too.
I'm pretty sure the kid had no chance of success his environment told him he made it before he was 16. You don't develop a work ethic in that environment which killed him.
Terrible goalkeeping. I think it's Whitbread, love the goal celebration. Also love this tweet from Freddy in 2015...irony? delusion?