Freddy Adu Voted The Greatest Football Manager Wonderkid Of All Time

If you wanted 100 goals+ in the early versions of Football Manager then Freddy Adu was a must-purchase for any team.

This freak of virtual nature once scored four goals in a Champions League final back in my FM 2005 save, and once he utterly dismantled every Premier League defender for a decade, his value on the game went through the roof.

*Reject all offers*

Based on his incredible in-game stats, it's no surprise that thousands of people have voted him as the greatest Football Manager wonderkid of all time.

Cherno Samba came in second place in the online poll, while Tonton Zola Moukoko and Kennedy Bakircioglü came in third and fourth respectively.

Unfortunately for those who followed Adu's career, his fall from grace in real life was spectacular, to say the least.

Things couldn't have started better for the youngster. After scoring four goals as a 14-year-old at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, Adu went on to score eleven goals in Major League Soccer between 2004 and 2006.

In November 2006, when he was just 16-years-old, Manchester United offered him a trial. It was a dream come true for the American.

Sir Alex Ferguson was certainly impressed with Adu's talents, but a move never materialised:

"Freddy has done all right. He is a talented boy. He'll go back to the US and we'll keep a check on him. When he is 18, we will have to assess what we can do next." he told BBC.

Despite the initial rejection from those behind the scenes at Old Trafford, it all looked so promising for Adu when he penned a deal to sign for Benfica in 2007.

But after loan spells at Monaco, Belenenses and Çaykur Rizespor, he moved back to the MLS after scoring just two goals for the Portuguese side.

He went on to play for North American Soccer League side Tampa Bay Rowdies, but once again struggled to make an impact, failing to find the net in 12 appearances before being released.

Adu then joined USL side Las Vegas Lights. He recorded the club's first ever assist and made a handful of appearances but again, he released from his duties and is currently a free agent.

Let's hope the 30-year-old can make a comeback in the coming months.

Topics: Football News, GAMING, Football Manager, Football, MLS, USA

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare is a writer at SPORTbible. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pele, Carles Puyol and Tim Henman. He dabbles in all things sport but football is his biggest passion. He was once hit in the head by a wayward strike from Nicky Butt and lived to tell the tale.

@jackkenmare_