There is still plenty to be written in the story of Freddy Adu. At least that’s what the former childhood phenom is hoping as he enters his second season with the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies, and Adu is hoping the rest of his winding tale is positive.
That was his message in an exclusive interview with Goal USA’s Ives Galarcep.
“I’ve looked back on these past few years and I’ve wasted a lot of time, wasted years of my career, just not dedicating the time I should have to the sport,” Adu said. “That’s time wasted. Lucky for me, I started so early that time wasted doesn’t mean I’m 33 or 34 and it’s too late for me. I’m only 26 and I can change and correct the things I’ve done wrong, and that’s what I’m focused on right now.”
Adu touched on a wide range of topics. The highlights include speaking about the expectations heaped on him when he was selected No. 1 overall by D.C. United as a 14-year-old, preparing for a second consecutive year with the same team for the first time since 2012 and his future career goals. Adu mostly focused on taking responsibility for his wasted potential and missed opportunities.
“Everything that I’ve been through and everything that hurt my career, I brought it on myself because I didn’t dedicate enough time to it,” Adu said. “You can say, ‘Oh, I had a lot too early,’ or say whatever you want. But at the end of the day we all need to grow up at some point, and that has just all hit me this offseason. It really did.”
