MANCHESTER, England - Jonathan Spector has observed the recent phenomenon of Freddy Adu-lation from afar without jealousy but with more than casual interest.
It will be a boon to Spector, 18, and every other elite soccer player of his generation if Adu lives up to the sensational future predicted for him. Spector played with Adu in last year's under-17 world championships and has seen that promise for himself.
The two players' paths have diverged radically since that tournament. Adu accepted the role of Major League Soccer's chosen one, with the attendant money, pressure and marketing hype. Spector elected to enlist with Manchester United, where he is one of many talented young men scrambling up a steep anthill in the team's development system.
As applause washed over Adu during D.C. United's player introductions in RFK Stadium on Saturday, Spector was preparing to turn in after a typically busy week that included an under-19 match in Wales.
The defender from Arlington Heights, Ill., has been playing steadily for Man U's U-19 and full reserve teams - a gig comparable to playing simultaneously for Double A and Triple A baseball teams while waiting to debut in The Show.
Both teams play weekly against their counterparts from other Premier League teams. The reserves' home games at a suburban team's grounds attract 2,000 to 3,000 paying spectators.
Spector subbed into his first reserve match, has started four more and started on Thursday against Bolton, an unusual amount of playing time for a player of his age and experience.
Last December, Spector was told he would be traveling with the first team - the one the world thinks of as Man U - to a Carling Cup match with West Bromwich. "Bring your boots," he was instructed.
Spector boarded the bus and sat quietly as banter in English and Portuguese swirled around him. He took a deep breath and a moment to appreciate where he was.
It wasn't the first time Spector had shared airspace with the first 11. They put their shorts on one leg at a time in a dressing room right next to the one in which Spector changes at the massive Carrington training center.
Players can't help but bump into each other on the way in and out.
"It's psychologically encouraging, because you say to yourself, `Those guys were here too, why can't I do it?' " Spector said.
That layout is a deliberate strategy by the club, as is bringing a young player along to a low-profile first-team match so he starts to work out his jitters.
Spector didn't dress for the West Bromwich loss, but he did get a visit from Man U manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
"He sat down next to me and said, `Are you having a good time?'" Spector said. "I said yes. He said, `Good. Then bring me a cup of tea.'
"I asked him if he wanted milk or sugar. What else could I ask?"
Spector laughed as he told the tale on himself. Though he is growing up fast in soccer terms, there is still a lot of kid in him.
He sleeps with a Chicago skyline poster over his bed and photos of his parents, his brother, his girlfriend and the family dachshund nearby. Spector, who said he missed winter this year, is especially fond of one shot that shows the little dog wading through chin-high snow.
He lives with Terry and Janet Holden in a big, rambling brick house in suburban Sale. The 20-minute Metro ride from downtown Manchester passes by Old Trafford, Man U's grounds and a shrine for fans from several continents.
Terry Holden drives a cab and happened to pick up one of Man U's youth team players a couple of years ago. One thing led to another and now, after a thorough vetting by the team, the couple has three young athletes occupying their spare bedrooms. It's a very full house when their teenage son is home.
Spector eventually will move into his own place, but he likes the family atmosphere and says he's in no hurry. He's prepared to be patient about his first team debut, too. It would be easy to fantasize about trotting into Soldier Field this July for Man U's exhibition match against Bayern Munich, but he can't afford to let his dreams get ahead of his legs.
"They'll know best when I'm ready," Spector said. "But the sooner the better."
http://www.aberdeennews.com
It will be a boon to Spector, 18, and every other elite soccer player of his generation if Adu lives up to the sensational future predicted for him. Spector played with Adu in last year's under-17 world championships and has seen that promise for himself.
The two players' paths have diverged radically since that tournament. Adu accepted the role of Major League Soccer's chosen one, with the attendant money, pressure and marketing hype. Spector elected to enlist with Manchester United, where he is one of many talented young men scrambling up a steep anthill in the team's development system.
As applause washed over Adu during D.C. United's player introductions in RFK Stadium on Saturday, Spector was preparing to turn in after a typically busy week that included an under-19 match in Wales.
The defender from Arlington Heights, Ill., has been playing steadily for Man U's U-19 and full reserve teams - a gig comparable to playing simultaneously for Double A and Triple A baseball teams while waiting to debut in The Show.
Both teams play weekly against their counterparts from other Premier League teams. The reserves' home games at a suburban team's grounds attract 2,000 to 3,000 paying spectators.
Spector subbed into his first reserve match, has started four more and started on Thursday against Bolton, an unusual amount of playing time for a player of his age and experience.
Last December, Spector was told he would be traveling with the first team - the one the world thinks of as Man U - to a Carling Cup match with West Bromwich. "Bring your boots," he was instructed.
Spector boarded the bus and sat quietly as banter in English and Portuguese swirled around him. He took a deep breath and a moment to appreciate where he was.
It wasn't the first time Spector had shared airspace with the first 11. They put their shorts on one leg at a time in a dressing room right next to the one in which Spector changes at the massive Carrington training center.
Players can't help but bump into each other on the way in and out.
"It's psychologically encouraging, because you say to yourself, `Those guys were here too, why can't I do it?' " Spector said.
That layout is a deliberate strategy by the club, as is bringing a young player along to a low-profile first-team match so he starts to work out his jitters.
Spector didn't dress for the West Bromwich loss, but he did get a visit from Man U manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
"He sat down next to me and said, `Are you having a good time?'" Spector said. "I said yes. He said, `Good. Then bring me a cup of tea.'
"I asked him if he wanted milk or sugar. What else could I ask?"
Spector laughed as he told the tale on himself. Though he is growing up fast in soccer terms, there is still a lot of kid in him.
He sleeps with a Chicago skyline poster over his bed and photos of his parents, his brother, his girlfriend and the family dachshund nearby. Spector, who said he missed winter this year, is especially fond of one shot that shows the little dog wading through chin-high snow.
He lives with Terry and Janet Holden in a big, rambling brick house in suburban Sale. The 20-minute Metro ride from downtown Manchester passes by Old Trafford, Man U's grounds and a shrine for fans from several continents.
Terry Holden drives a cab and happened to pick up one of Man U's youth team players a couple of years ago. One thing led to another and now, after a thorough vetting by the team, the couple has three young athletes occupying their spare bedrooms. It's a very full house when their teenage son is home.
Spector eventually will move into his own place, but he likes the family atmosphere and says he's in no hurry. He's prepared to be patient about his first team debut, too. It would be easy to fantasize about trotting into Soldier Field this July for Man U's exhibition match against Bayern Munich, but he can't afford to let his dreams get ahead of his legs.
"They'll know best when I'm ready," Spector said. "But the sooner the better."
http://www.aberdeennews.com
