AN INTERVIEW WITH MONACO-BOUND FREDDY ADU

Getty Images

Right Said Fred. Wow, talk about obscure pop culture references.

In the current issue of ESPN The Magazine, there's a feature piece on Freddy Adu. Seems the savior of American soccer had finally been coming into his own in Portugal. Then, this week—WHAM!—he was loaned to Monaco. But hey, it's a good thing! Carmen Renee Thompson—the author of the original Magazine feature—caught up with the soccer sensation for an interview via e-mail on the move. Check it out by clicking through.

Magazine: Was the loan something you pushed for?

The loan was definitely something I pushed for. I need to be in a stable environment right now in my career. What I mean by that is a place where I can play and not have too much pressure on me and a place I can develop. Monaco wanted me and did whatever they could to get me so I feel very very good about that.

How easy or hard was it to arrange between the teams?

It was difficult for my agents Bruno Satin and Max Eisenbud to arrange this because there were some things Benfica were asking Monaco for and there was a little bit of confusion but in the end it worked out so I am happy about that. This had been going on for a couple of weeks now.

Were there other teams you were considering? If so, which ones?

Yes, I was considering other teams. Recreativo Huelva, Nantes, Bologna, Genoa. These are just a few of the teams that were interested in me but in the end I felt Monaco was the best fit and what suited my needs as a player at the moment.

When did you learn that Flores wasn't likely to use you significantly next season and how did you feel when you heard that?

I didn't necessarily hear that. It was the signings the team made in the offseason at my positions that basically gave me the clue it was going to be the same thing. I mean if the team thought I was gonna be an important part this year then they would have definitely said no on the loan so that also was another indication.

What are your feelings and expectations as far as playing time with Monaco and also transitioning over to living in France?

I think I will have a fair shot at playing in Monaco. It's obviously a very storied club who was in the finals of the champions league in 2004 so that's exciting. I am very very happy to be putting on the AS MONACO colors this season. They showed alot of interest and a team will not go through all that trouble if they dont think you can help them so I'm positive about getting some good minutes.

How's your French?

I don't know French at all. I took some lessons when I was younger but all I know are the numbers. I've been told basically everyone in Monaco speaks English because of it being a huge vacation spot so I'm excited about that. I might not need to learn French after all.

Print Article . Email Article. Subscribe to The Magazine