Future Stars
Welcome to the young stars page this page will include many well know stars that you may of already heard of and also some unknown talent that will give even Ronaldinihio a run for his money.
Page Created By Mike Whyatt
1> Freddy Adu
- Born: 2 June 1989
- Birthplace: Ghana
- Best Known As: The youngest-ever member of a U.S. national soccer team
Speedy and highly gifted, Adu became a super soccer prodigy in the early 2000s. He played his first international matches with the U.S. under-17 national team in March of 2003; he was only 13, making him the youngest national team player ever. Born in Ghana, Adu moved to the U.S. with his mother and brother at age 8 and became an American citizen in 2003. Adu's remarkable play has earned him comparisons with earlier teen wonders like Pele and Ronaldo. In November of 2003, Adu signed a six-year deal with Major League Soccer (MLS). He began play with the team D.C. United in the 2004 season.
Some critics have questioned Adu's age, but U.S. officials have accepted his Ghanian birth certificate, which lists his birth date as 2 June 1989... In May of 2003, Adu signed a reported $1 million contract with shoe maker Nike.
2> John Obi Mikel
José Mourinho thinks that he's one of the best young players ever. Henning Berg says that he's better than Steven Gerrard. Sir Alex Ferguson is going to throw a party to celebrate the signing. Some praise indeed for United's latest acquisition; 18 year old Nigerian John Obi Mikel. The Reds have splashed out somewhere between £6.5m and £10m (depending on which media you believe) on the teenage international midfielder who is currently with Lyn Oslo in Norway. It's certainly the "biggest deal in Norwegian history" according to Lyn general manager Morgan Andersen. It's a hell of a lot of money for a kid who's played three - yes just three - league games to date. Rant set out to find out a bit more about the player...
The Facts
Full Name: John Obi MikelDate of Birth: 22 April 1987Born: Plateau State, NigeriaFormer Clubs: Lyn Oslo, Norway; Plateau United, 
Nigeria; Pepsi Football Academy, NigeriaSenior Games: Three, MoM in oneGoals: OneInternational: Nigeria U-17sRecently included in the full Nigeria squad for thematch against RwandaJoins United On: 1st January 2006
The Player
Mikel is said to be a technically gifted all-action central midfielder - think Steven Gerrard/Patrick Vieira/Roy Keane. He was one of the stars of the 2004 FIFA Under-17s World Cup and has been monitored by United since the player trained with the Reds in 2003. Indeed, he recently spent time with both United and Chelsea. The London club had presumed that a deal was already done; it wasn't.
Privately Sir Alex is thought to be ecstatic with the signing. So much so, in fact, that Mikel will go on the Asian Tour with United this summer despite not actually joining full time until January 2006.
3>Giuseppe Rossi
Born: 1 February 1987, New Jersey, USA
Signed: 6 July 2004, from Parma
Fee: Undisclosed fee
Other Previous Clubs: None
Debut: 10 November 2004 v Crystal Palace (H) Carling Cup
Giuseppe Rossi joined United's Academy from Italian Serie A outfit Parma in July 2004.
He made his first-team debut in the Carling Cup fourth round win over Crystal Palace on 10 November 2004 - just two weeks after signing professional forms with the club.
Sir Alex Ferguson handed Rossi the number 42 shirt just days before naming him on the bench at Old Trafford, and kicked off the 17-year-old's career by bringing him on as a substitute for David Bellion in the last five minutes of the 2-0 victory.
Rossi, who plays as a withdrawn forward, earned his chance in the first team with some impressive displays in United's Reserves, scoring an array of goals with either foot.
Ferguson says of Rossi: "Hes only small, but he is good in the air. He has got quick feet, a great football brain and can score goals."
4>Theo Walcott
| Squad Number: | 32 |
| Position: | Forward |
| Place of Birth: | Newbury, England |
| Date Of Birth: | 16/ 03/ 1989 |
| Height: | 0'0 |
| Weight: | 0st 0lbs |
| This Season | |
| Appearances: | 13(10) |
| Goals: | 5 |
| Yellow Cards: | 2 |
| Red Cards: | 0 |
| Minutes on Pitch: | 1286 |
A series of scintillating performances during his first season in senior football for Southampton was enough to bring Arsenal down to the South Coast to snare Theo Walcott. The 16-year-old's defence-ruining pace and eye for goal was already the worst-kept secret in the Championship before the Gunners beat Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool to his signature. £5m up front, with future fees totaling out at £12m was the agreed fee, a vast amount of money for someone who has played just thirteen professional games. Clearly, Arsenal felt they were on to someone special.
Born in Newbury, Berkshire, Walcott was a sprint champion at school and an outstanding forward in junior football, his ability catching the eye of Southampton who signed him on an apprenticeship in 2004. His rapid journey from schoolboy football to first team starter at St Mary's is made all the more remarkable by his slight physique; at just 5ft7' he would appear to be a little on the short side, but as one schoolboy team-mate recalls: 'People couldn't kick him because they couldn't get near him.' Five goals in thirteen starts for Southampton, dotted in performances that saw him run Championship full-backs ragged, confirmed his quality in the professional game, but the move to Arsenal still remains a gamble.
Arsenal was reportedly Walcott's choice of club because of the support structure Arsene Wenger has in place for his legion of young players. Coming from a close family, the youngster perhaps feared the anonymity of Chelsea. Whether he can make it from young reserve into the Arsenal first team alongside the man he once called 'the best striker in the world' remains to be seen.