Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterFreddy Adu was tipped to become the USAs greatest ever player when he emerged as a teenager, but things didnt turn out as he would have hoped.Adu made his MLS debut for DC United at the age of just 14, and then made his first senior appearance for the USA at 16.In the mid-Noughties, he was billed as the next Pele, but the hype ultimately fizzled out, as a move to Benfica didnt go well, then he spent the next decade moving from club to club in various countries.Article continues below You may like USMNT youngster with Olympic background vying for World Cup place Who exactly is Ricardo Pepi? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report 'The Boy's A Bit Special' Dual-national Obed Vargas sets sights on world stage after remote upbringing Freddy Adu's big regretAdus 17th and last appearance for the USA came in their 4-2 defeat to Mexico in the final of the 2011 Gold Cup, when he was still only 22.He also appeared in other major tournaments for the Stars and Stripes, but as the USA prepares to co-host the World Cup this summer, the now retired 36-year-old is left reflecting on the fact that he never made it to the globes biggest international event.Although his USA debut came in January 2006, he wasnt considered ready to go to that years World Cup, wasnt selected for 2010 and was out of the picture by 2014.Speaking to FourFourTwo, he admitted that playing at the World Cup was the one dream he didnt achieve during his career, but wished he did.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.That was it, yes thats an easy yes, he said, speaking in association with Ivy Casino.The Confederations Cup was the closest thing for me. Obviously I played in the youth World Cups and the Olympics, and that was cool, but, you know, the big time, the top, the actual World Cup, thats the big dog right there.The Confederations Cup in South Africa was the closest tournament that I was in, but it was too bad that I didnt play at a World Cup, yes.There will be more from Adu about his career in FourFourTwo soon.TOPICSDC UnitedWorld CupChris FlanaganSocial Links NavigationSenior Staff WriterChris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.
