Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterFreddy Adu was barely into his teenage years when the hype began.Even before he made his senior debut at D.C. United as a 14-year-old, Adu was heralded as the next Pele as he was talked up as not just a promising young player, but a generational talent who was being tipped for global stardom.But compared to the Brazilian great at such a young age came with a weight of expectation that no child should have to even comprehend, let alone live up to. As Adu looks back at this career, he explains that the excitement of being compared to his idol would soon give way to the realisation that he needed to forge his own path.Adu on the pressure of being the next PeleAsked by FourFourTwo when he realised he might be destined for something special, Adu says: When I was 11 or 12. My team, the Bethesda Internationals, were one of the top four teams in the nation and we were in the national championships.A lot of teams were playing, there were a bunch of fields, and when my team played, everybody and I mean everybody, all the other parents, all the other teams would come and gather around our field to watch. You may like Diego Maradona Jnr on life as the son of a footballing icon Peter Crouch on how Jude Bellingham answered his England critics "No, it's not my wish to become president of Liberia" George Weah's mid 90s stance on politics, playing alongside Roberto Baggio and under Arsene Wenger revisited This was the first time that Adu had experienced this kind of attention, as his matches became must-watch affairs for local fans and players.Theyd heard of this 11-year-old, and it was under 14s, so I was playing three years up. It was really cool that was the first time I got a taste of pressure, he continues.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.This excitement would grow, with Adus name going way past youth tournaments and into the mainstream media.As a consequence of this, comparisons with Pele, Adus hero, began to emerge.As a kid, when I first heard it, I thought it was cool to be compared to your idol, because Pele was my idol, Adu continues.But eventually, the enormity of the situation would sink in and the comparison to the three-time World Cup winner and all-time great began to weigh on him.Then it set in that Oh my God It took a few months to realise Alright, now youve really got to perform, because people arent just comparing anybody to Pele. Then I started thinking You cant allow this to happen.I had to say Look, Im my own player, you cant compare me to one of the greatest players who ever played, Im not him. I had to come to terms with being my own player and just focus on being me, rather than being Pele.TOPICSFreddy AduPelUnited StatesWorld CupJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromChris FlanaganSenior Staff Writer
