CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 17 (UPI) -- D.C. United officially has acquired Freddy Adu by selecting the soccer prodigy with the first pick in Friday's MLS SuperDraft.
Adu, a 14-year-old naturalized American born in Ghana, will become the youngest professional American athlete in over a century.
"I've been waiting for this moment my entire life," Adu said. "Since I moved to this country, I've been a huge fan of DC United. That's why I'm so excited to be part of this organization and hope I can help lead this team back to its winning ways."
Adu, who has signed a two-year endorsement deal with Sierra Mist, a Pepsi product, officially became the highest paid player in the nine-year old league with his selection.
On Nov. 19, he became the highest-paid player in MLS with a guaranteed salary of $500,000, and also inked a $1 million endorsement deal with Nike. He has been compared to Pele and Diego Maradona, and is arguably the only player that might attract hard-core sports fans to an MLS match.
