Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterAfter being dubbed the new Pele at the tender age of 14, Freddy Adus career would end up taking him to some unexpected places.After becoming the youngest-ever player to appear in United States professional sports when he made his D.C. United debut in 2004, Adu had stints playing in Portugal, France, Greece, Turkey and Brazil over the next decade.After a stint with Salvador-based Brazilian side Bahia ended, Adus next opportunity came at Blackpool, with the then-Championship side taking the American on trial in February 2014.Adu on his Blackpool moveAnd while moving from the Brazilian summer to a Blackpool winter would be a culture shock to most, Adu looks back at his time with the Seasiders fondly.I had a good time there, it was great! he tells FourFourTwo. I was a free agent after Brazil, and Blackpool was cool! You may like Freddy Adu on what it was like to be compared to Pele at 14 "I dont know why the Manchester United move didn't happen. Benfica seemed like the best jump for me at the time: it didnt turn out to be that way" Freddy Adu on his failed Red Devils transfer Streets-wont-forget-football Lee Trundle looks back at the height of his mad career as he turns 50 I liked it there, I remember I really did enjoy my time there, being around those guys, but the football was really different, compared to what I was used to.Adus nomadic career to this point had seen him adapt to plenty of new surroundings, but he admits that the rough-and-tumble style of a second-tier English side was something new to him.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.It was more direct and very physically demanding, so my style of play didnt exactly mesh with the team, he admits.Blackpool would decide against offering Adu a contract, but would allow him to continue training with the club as Adu looked for his next opportunity.After stints training in Norway and the Netherlands, he would sign with Serbian side FK Jagodina in July 2014, in a move that again didnt work out for him.I went to Serbia and just played the one game, I was only there for about six months, Adu continues. At that point in my career, I just needed to try to get somewhere, get some playing time and get my love for soccer back again. It didnt end up happening over there, I wasnt happy there.They sell you this story but you get there and things are completely different, so I was just trying to bide my time and get out of there."Hindsight isnt 20/20, but there are a lot of decisions I would have made differently, as far as teams go, if I had that opportunity.TOPICSBlackpoolChampionshipJoe 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
