American hype-machine Freddy Adu is in Madrid with Real Salt Lake preparing for a friendly against a Real Madrid reserve team combining players from both Real Madrid C and Castilla. RealMadrid.com took the opportunity to interview the 17-year-old Adu.
Freddy said he “couldn’t be happier” with his move to RSL, adding for the first time publicly that being traded from D.C. United is something he wanted, partly because he had been playing out of position. “I’m an attacking midfielder, he said, “sort of a number ’10’ role — and I knew this team was going to give me an opportunity to play in that position. I have a good relationship with Coach [John] Ellinger and I asked to be traded to Real Salt Lake.”
Adu also shed light on the commercial aspect of the game in America, which he, of course, has helped through a combination of his young age and high-profile sponsorship with Nike. After being asked why so many kids abandon soccer as they grow older, Adu replied, “American coaches take the fun out of the game for kids,” by stressing tactics over creativity. “It’s no fun when you’re not creative and when you’re not expressing yourself out on the field,” he said.