Freddy Adu names his favourite wonderkid right now (and it’s not Golden Boy Gavi or Jamal Musiala)

Football’s original wonderkid Freddy Adu has named his favourite up-and-comer in the sport right now — and he’s snubbed the two most recent winners of the Golden Boy, Gavi and Pedri.

Adu’s story in the sport has become a cautionary tale for youngsters across the globe. The now 33-year-old rose to meteoric prominence across the pond for D.C. United, making his MLS debut at just 14 and becoming a fully-fledged United States international at 16.

Freddy Adu news: England’s “rare” talent too good for BVB?

• Freddy Adu has named Jude Bellingham as his favourite wonderkid right now (click here for full quotes)
• The American cult hero believes the Dortmund midfielder is a “rare” talent and won’t stay in Germany for much longer.
• Man City have been linked with his signature in the past, and Adu “hopes” the teenager will join Pep Guardiola’s side.
• Having just turned 19 in June, Bellingham has already played 169 games for club and country.

The world was at his feet before he even learned how to drive, but those formative years would ultimately prove the pinnacle of his career, as he failed to kick on in Europe for the likes of Benfica and Monaco, before enduring a nomadic existence in footballing obscurity.

Capped 17 times by USMNT, Adu’s globe-trotting would see him represent the likes of Bahia in Brazil, Jagodina in Serbia, KuPS in Finland, American start-up Las Vegas Lights and most recently Osterlen FF, then playing in the third tier of Swedish football in 2021.

It’s hardly the career path he would have been expecting when he first burst onto the scene. Now considered a bit of a cult hero, Adu’s name has forever been etched into footballing folklore. And he has recently been giving his thoughts to Offers.Bet on the current batch of up-and-comers.

When asked by Squawka to name his favourite wonderkid in the game right now, Adu said: “Right now I would have to say Jude Bellingham.

“The reason for saying Bellingham is that for someone at the age of 19, the way he plays and the impact he is having, he’s playing like someone with 10 years more experience in the game – and that is very rare to see.

“And he’s doing it for a big team in Germany. If you look past the slightly older Mbappe and Haaland, you’d have to say Bellingham. He’s a midfielder that makes a massive difference.

“He should be linked with the big teams in England, because he deserves to be linked with those teams. I don’t think he’s going to stay at Dortmund for very long. I think someone is going to sign him for big, big money. If he ends up at Man City I’d be delighted as I’m a big Man City fan!

“I hope he ends up at City!”