The Unreal Rise of America's New Wonderkid

[@marcovisintin9670]

The year is 2032. Real Madrid and Manchester City are fighting for the 10 million euros signing of a 5 y/o kid that knows hot to do a backheel pass. Surely the best in the millenium

[@davispaul2279]

You jealous?

[@Karpify]

2059: Newcastle United and Manchester City are in a war of corporate espionage and high-stakes litigation to secure the patent for the so-called "Messi-Sullivan Gene".

[@JT-rx1eo]

At some point you'd think they would learn.

[@dwaynekeenum1916]

U mad

[@stewzs9269]

@@JT-rx1eo ah yes recently won a treble we'd better learn

[@shrimp99991]

Wanna give some props to Tom. Never heard of him, but I love his energy and the way he communicates. Love the video Z!

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

Check him out he’s the best American soccer reporter.

[@youenjoy8468]

Tom is one of my fav MLS reporters. A lot of his stuff is behind a paywall on The Athletic, but you have to get paid somehow.

[@tombogert]

🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

@@youenjoy8468 I far prefer paying for quality sources than relying on ad supported clickbait

[@shadycarry]

@@youenjoy8468 The athletic is totally worth it tho. One of the bastions of athletic journalism at his point

[@jordylont1879]

The pressure put on these kids is terrifying

[@AlexRN]

Yeah no shit. When that article flashed calling him "The next Lio Messi" I facepalmed. He hasn't even debuted yet on a professional level! Give him a chance.

[@ZealandonYT]

I don't disagree, it's tough because a 14-year-old signing a future deal with Man City's first team and being put on the path to debut in MLS is huge news, but you don't want to make it harder to achieve I wanted to try to just talk about why he is where he is now, obviously what scouts are saying about him is going to get out into the media, but hopefully he has a good structure around him to help him stay grounded. It sounds like he does, honestly

[@JamesHussain82]

It's good for you

[@Edward-xh4oj]

@@AlexRNhe has actually debuted on a professional level…

[@AlexRN]

@@Edward-xh4oj fine point taken but you know what I mean. Kid’s 14. Let him be for a bit before we call him the next Messi.

[@tombogert]

Thanks for the editing to make me look much smarter than I am!!

[@ZealandonYT]

Hi Tom

[@ourhandsaretied]

Loving the Fulham scarf in the background!

[@justsomethingtothinkabout8515]

My 12 year old son just made the academy for Sac. Republic. His dream is to play for Real Madrid. These academies have become so much more advanced and the speed of play at such young ages is amazing. They all look like little professionals… I’m truly excited for the U.S.M.N.T. and the future of American soccer (futbol).

[@jrn2121]

So, you are surprised by Manchester City’s financial power? And you’re a football writer ?

[@EastCoastReese]

I worked at YSC (the facility where the Union academy plays) for a few years, and I refereed a game with a then-11 year old Cavan. We knew then he was incredibly talented, and I'm so very proud of him for helping put us on the map. Great video and love from Philly, Z.

[@DimBeam1]

Liar. You Yanks are something else. Bet youre MAGA, they always lie.

[@Malbert.]

I know his brother, Quinn, who plays for Philadelphia! Amazing guy and family filled with talent!

[@DimBeam1]

Bull sh.....it

[@cierankinsella3451]

I work as a scout for a non-league team in england, i have friends working much higher up the pyramid, and we sometimes sit and talk about players were excited about, cavan was mentioned by a friend who works for spurs. And he was super confident that he was gonna have a top shelf career. There's always the unknown of how a player this young will develop, and he might turn out to be anything from world beater to not good enough. But usually when every top scout is drooling over a kid they usually end up being correct.

[@DimBeam1]

BS

[@laronamareka5543]

true like mbappe, every scout was sure of him. This sulivan kid is too good

[@aisosaihama]

14 years old, American, already dubbed the "New Messi"... I feel like I've seen this film before? 🤔

[@_UberEats_]

Freddy Adu?

[@pattamon9432]

@@_UberEats_ They called him" New Messi" in 2004? Doubt it

[@jamesrexus8555]

​@@pattamon9432They called him the "new pele"

[@corushii]

@@pattamon9432 Messi started in 2004, so saying the "New Messi" in the same year Messi started is a wild statement

[@pattamon9432]

@@jamesrexus8555 Yeah I know. They even created a media campaign with young Adu AND PELE. That was sooooo wild

[@mattbarber97]

I'm not sure about this, hype like this for young players often puts a lot of pressure before they've even made the first team. I hope the kid goes far but the media has squashed a lot of promising young players

[@Popmycherryyo]

Honestly, as a gunners fan (and fellow norwegian) I'm honestly just glad and SHOCKED that Martin Ødegaard/Ødegård managed to fight through the insane hype he had, and then the..lets call it a flop, he had the first few years at R.M.

[@LeboMochudi]

​@@Popmycherryyo Fair. But I never viewed his time in Madrid as a flop at all. They sent him out on perfect developmental loans that ensured that he continue to grow towards his potential even though he wasn't playing for his parent club. That's success. And he's still on a trajectory that could see them courting him again in a few years at his peak.

[@zacharyreno2001]

Agreed. I know this kid is really good, but he won’t end up on the level he’s projected to be on, especially with an approach to his career like this. I fear the Man City camp is going to mess with him bad and it will delay his advancement. Being American is clearly an automatic disadvantage in English football, so they’re not going to like this hype around what they call a yankee.

[@JoDyMa]

Ahhh, it's Freddie Adu. Bro's not old enough to know how good he is. Simple as.

[@destelpa]

As a Philly Union fan, it always makes me happy when one of our players gets bought by a European club. Its obviously a little bittersweet to lose them, but i think them playing well elsewhere helps elevate American players in the minds of the rest of the world. Like, good players can come from here too. Best of luck to Cavan and hopefully he can develop into a great pro talent one day

[@davidjr4903]

🧢

[@FreeWilly22]

🤣🤣🤣🧢🧢🧢🧢 none of your players are making it in Europe, go back to sleep

[@K0rium]

@@FreeWilly22 don’t be too bitter about the fact that the top premier league team is paying more for an American youth player then they’ve ever paid for any other😂😂😂 But sure, Manchester City is wrong and random KZbin guy is right💀💀🤣

[@roberthorry621]

@@FreeWilly22 u maddddd

[@michoseadane5925]

Cavan is gonna be a great player in the future, as well as a wonderkid i'll definitely use in FM

[@mantorras7752]

Yea we have never heard that before

[@dwaynekeenum1916]

@@mantorras7752you mad

[@wuxiagamescentral]

Cavan is scaring the shit out of me. He's getting more hype than Adu. And I don't know anything about this kid

[@droo3010]

Def not more hype than Adu 😂 Adu everyone knew about

[@jackied962]

Adu was probably the most famous American soccer player, before he had even played a professional match. He was going to the teen choice awards with a pop star. People that follow the USMNT know this kid but that's about it.

[@BGeezy4sheezy]

It’s really not meaningful at all until he’s playing against adults. Maybe he’ll be great, but the vast majority of hyped 14 year olds don’t go on to become the worlds best players

[@morange492]

The only way he gets more hype than Adu is if Messi starts running commercials with him and calls him the next Messi

[@SixGodHobbs]

With this young of a kid I hope that the family protects him from all this. Pressure can either make you better or fail. Hope he succeeds and we can see him be great on the national team.

[@d.l.d.l.8140]

Backyard games at family gatherings must be INTENSE 😂

[@paisley_m04]

2 mls next who have a high chance of going to college and maybe pro, and 2 kids in mls all under the age of 20 in one family is CRAZY.

[@d.l.d.l.8140]

@@paisley_m04 I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. 😁

[@64BitTv]

Great video but just a heads up that the photo at 10:11 is not Austin Trusty, that’s Reuell Walters

[@matthewmason8982]

😬

[@lutho1230]

Facts! *CryingEmoji

[@ZealandonYT]

Just testing your reflexes

[@cabhan]

dude this guy has my name and its bugging me out, never heard so many people who i dont know writing "cavan" lmao

[@mrfreeland123]

Hi Cavan ,ps Cavan

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

dia duit a Chabhán!

[@cabhan]

@@saoirsedeltufo7436 dia is muire duit !

[@MegrelMamba]

გამარჯობა, კავან.

[@cabhan]

@@MegrelMamba is that georgian ? :o

[@peoplelikefrank]

Most important he stays fit and healthy. Any bigger injury could end his career.

[@Munthasir123]

Can we take a moment to appreciate how many young talent is coming out of the Philadelphia Union academy!

[@Jesus_christ_is_Lord_7]

Just gonna say two points. 1: 99.9% of these “wonder kids” can’t hack it after age 18! 2: he’s American. (No disrespect but some countries just don’t have football blood in them) Don’t @ me. @at me in 4/5 years.

[@muhammadryanelyeddari8631]

0:54 I didn't know what I expected when I heard ''Fabrizio Romano of the United States'' but it definitely wasn't someone who looks exactly like Fabrizio Romano but if he was from the United States.

[@XimenaZhao415]

Great background story with the grandpa, dad, uncle, and three older brothers pedigree.

[@kashshhds8824]

America got a pretty solid young national team growing even if this kid doesn’t work out

[@jackied962]

I thought we were passed still doing this. I can still remember the hype around Ben Lederman just because he was at Barcelona's La Masia. Manchester City also signed Americans, Zach Steffen, Eric Palmer Brown and even Mix Diskerud at one point. I hope he's great, but let's calm down.

[@robertvries1]

Cool video dude. Always love hearing about new wonderkids.

[@bedr0m]

July 17th and he just made his MLS debut. 14 years old, and the youngest player to ever play in a major professional North American sports league.

[@simenstory3321]

An excellent video man, would love to see more like this! Might I suggest a video on Rosenborg's Sverre Nypan? You might be able to get an interview with his dad. His camp/family have some very clear and reasonable thoughts about his career planning, it's very refreshing to hear.

[@pagirios2285]

How many "new messi's and ronaldo's" do we have right now? 300 ?

[@sonicwithglasses131]

He plays nothing like them

[@pagirios2285]

@@sonicwithglasses131 thats not good

[@sonicwithglasses131]

@@pagirios2285 i meant position, cavan is an attacking midfielder thats just direct

[@SgM-1000]

@@pagirios2285 he's a midfeilder, id sure as shit hope he's not playing like a striker

[@TheThingsDude]

Having a star like Cavan would be great for the USMNT

[@sparkyanderson6520]

Thank you for the context. As a fringe follower of US Soccer, I needed the context of understanding the major differences between the '04 version of MLS and the current version of MLS and its academies. In reality, I am no longer a big supporter of the US school system and believe a person can achieve greater things in life by being disconnected from the US school system and instead learning from experienced, successful people in any field, from soccer, to other sports, to investments, to relationships, to communication and more. I believe success mentality can be achieved by reading, studying, interviewing, and spending time with those who've succeeded before us in any endeavor and that the US school system is designed to create worker bees. Thanks again.

[@NatsFan18]

Can’t wait to follow his career!

[@jeffbaldino1059]

Enjoyed the video, FYI that is Reuell Walters and not Austin Trusty in the photos

[@TheLaughingMustache-oh5ff]

I hope his family keeps him grounded. Sounds like there's already a lot of hangers on to a 14 year old. Tbh he should stay off social media too and keep his local buddies close to him. I wish him nothing but the best and do like Pulisic, always celebrate with the guys you're playing with. It truly is a privilege to be in a team.

[@paisley_m04]

his family is definitely helping to keep him grounded. his brother is with him every step of the way, wether it’s at home, on the field, or in the locker room.

[@bijikedelai]

bruh i thought this was zealandism for a second 🤣

[@billysabilly]

it is

[@shibafm]

@@billysabillyit isn’t

[@connahg6414]

Loved your final sentiment! He must always remember how much he has and will accomplish

[@fimbus7692]

great idea to invite Tom Bogert he seems like a cool guy

[@quinny2144]

zealand+tom bogert= my two biggest obsessions rn

[@PerpetualAbidance]

It’s always the younger sibling who excels.

[@gamingdnaofficial]

Let's just wait and hope he gets better and better. Don't forget the amazing reviews that Gio Reyna had when he was at NYCFC academy also

[@mcgc93]

He's still decent but bvb got a new manager that benched him and now he's at NF on loan when he could be playing UCL. He can turn it around but idk maybe he's not as hungry (?) anymore

[@Jdubayou]

I mean Gio Reyna was literally playing for Dortmund at 17 and flashing world class potential. He's just had tons of injuries and a manager that didn't like him. It's not like he was hyped up and never did anything. He's still one of the best players for the USMNT at 21 and once he gets a move to a team that will actually give him playing time he can still end up being a very good player.

[@mattmac5605]

I was in high school history class at St Joes Prep in Philly and my teacher was Brendan Sullivan and he had brought his 2 young sons to class that day and they had their soccer ball. He told me to get up and pass the ball to them, so I kicked it and it made a loud bang on the desk and I got kicked out of class. One of his young sons was Cavan Sullivan. Hope he makes it to the top.

[@netayconnection6236]

I've just subscribed mate, a great video 📹

[@NoHesiBenny]

This is incredible work Z!!

[@nickfury8973]

Real Madrid would have bought him if he were Brazilian Barcelona would have bought him if he were Argentinian Manchester United would have bought him if he were English, or couldn’t juggle the ball at least once..

[@dixoncider8372]

Hey Zealand! Love the vid but the guy you have on 10:11 is not Auston Trusty

[@mdjobayer6235]

cavan Sullivan is a Bangladeshi origin, that's why he will play for Bangladesh.

[@15plus2isnot39]

How soon can we lock him in to the USMNT? Just in terms of locking nationality not in terms of putting him in the world cup squad at 15.

[@paisley_m04]

he’s confirmed he wants to play for usa and win a world cup there is his ultimate the goal so don’t be too worried.

[@ToblerX]

Here's my issue with this. The best of Europe are developed in Europe. La Masia players are playing against each other when they're 6-18. If Cavan is as good as they say, by the time he gets to City at 18 he will be way behind the best of Europe. This is one reason our best talents flame out. 16-18 are arguably the most important years for development. Pulisic was at Dortmund by 16 playing against the best of Europe. I worry about Cavan staying in MLS until 18.

[@BGeezy4sheezy]

It’s not ideal, but if he’s training and playing with first team that’s a good level. If he’s playing against other American youth players, that level isn’t high enough

[@joeythelemur2]

Didn't they say in the video that he could go play in Europe at 16 because of his German passport?

[@ToblerX]

@@joeythelemur2 yes but in a B rate Belgium league. I think he's eligible for Girona or Palermo. I think both of those would be a solid upgrade.

[@JoeHektor-dg8we]

MLS Academies didn’t exist 25ish years ago - EVERYTHING was ODP. MLS has built the model and its foundation is in place. The fact that European Academies come here to compete never EVER happened prior to our new developmental system. Certainly our academies aren’t on the level of those elite countries in Europe - but they’re good, surprisingly good. The MLS’s financial relevance has grown into a healthy place and will continue to skyrocket with Messi & the World Cup. Where the money goes the talent / development follows. 20 years - USMNT will truly be a competitor on the world stage.

[@rucinter]

@@JoeHektor-dg8we The american way of doing things: throw loads of money on something.

[@astralchimp]

Toast of London !

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

hahaha I'm so glad I wasn't the only one thinking this

[@JamesHussain82]

Laszlo!

[@Skinny_Popeye]

"...but let me tell you: Just based on the celebration I can guarantee you that he's going to make it as a pro." - says the so-called scout...

[@dagosegovia843]

My thoughts exactly

[@rmmvw]

This is a smart move on Philly Union's part because it can at the very least develop American talent as well as end up becoming the go-to team when talent is in need. It could effectively make them the Benfica of US Soccer in terms of being a talent farm.

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

MLS academies have exclusive territorial rights. You can’t just pick up and go to any academy you need to go to the one who owns your area.

[@rmmvw]

@@kalmenbarkin5708 but that doesn't matter when international clubs are looking for talent. Regardless of proximity, if the players are better/more consistent in Philly, that's where the clubs will go

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

@@rmmvw the clubs will go wherever the talent is. The talent will go wherever MLS allows them to go. This is unlike Germany where you can just go to Dortmund or Portugal to Porto etc and they have all the talent because the talented kids all go there. In the US the talented kids belong to particular MLS academies by virtue of their area.

[@paisley_m04]

@@kalmenbarkin5708philly union recruits dudes from other states. two starters right now jack mcglynn and nate harriel are from new york and flordia. they are both homegrowns though and went through the academy for some times they just have to pay.

[@dee1089]

lets hope the american media doesnt kill its wunderkid before he gets on the pitch.. .like they usually try to do for their own selfish gain.

[@jefaldridge]

This whole hype regarding a 14 year old, reminds me of the “American Pele” Freddy Adu…

[@marklehman5272]

Make a video about the philadelphia union pipeline. Theyve produced a ton of talent lately.

[@BGeezy4sheezy]

Pennsylvania seems to produce the best American players of any state

[@mchowdhu]

Bangladesh is rooting for you, my bother!👍

[@johnwatchorn6548]

I know I’m probably gonna get flack for this, but I’ve got a lot of hope for the talent coming into the US men’s team in the next decade. 🇺🇸

[@Tomo_Ender]

Have a look at the run Donny rovers have had in league 2 this year from fighting relegation to needing a draw last day of the season to clinch playoffs all within 10 games

[@isaacatkinson1882]

I get where Tom is coming from when saying it is unfair to not hype the kid because he is American / going through US football academies. I think most people take the view of, "give the kid space and allow him to grow into the lime light" that includes cooling hype around young lads regardless of where they are coming from.

[@WHUSpArKs4]

As someone from the UK who had watched the MLS for the last 12 years and randomly adopted Sporting Kansas City as my favourite team I can definitely say the talent that comes through the MLS is getting so good, I would not be surprised in years from now that most of the top talents in Football will be American.

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

At the end of the day as much as it can be irksome money buys success. And MLS has been investing heavily. In both physical and human infrastructure. New MLS stadiums and facilities are better than their European counterparts. And they also started buying up academy coaches and scouts. MLS is willing to spend and that’s going to translate more and more to getting results (in this case developing prospects) as investment compounds

[@DimBeam1]

LMAO. No chance.

[@TheLaughingMustache-oh5ff]

@@kalmenbarkin5708 the challenge in the USA is we're just so big and spread out so we have to have like ..many regions of development centers. That's a LOT of infrastructure to build upon for a sport that's probably 3rd or 4th on the totem pole atm too. The good news is we are a sport centric country and there can be some good overlap between american football/basketball/baseball training facilities. Imagine being in Texas and some of the high schools have near NFL level of training facilities lol.

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

@@TheLaughingMustache-oh5ff size makes it easier not harder. For MLS to develop enough guys to fill 30 clubs it still takes the same amount of academies etc as any other country to fill 30 rosters. But being big means each academy has more raw talent to choose from

[@Jdubayou]

@@kalmenbarkin5708 Soccer is still too much of an upper-middle to upper class sport in the US. Until we can start getting more talents from poor or working class backgrounds we won't make big strides internationally. I know MLS academies are "free" now but to even get noticed by scouts I imagine you would have to be playing club soccer which is very expensive.

[@matthewbrown3240]

I am interested in whether or not this is actually a shift in the level of talent coming through the MLS and their academies. Because despite Tom's claim the MLS hasn't developed that many elite players. The best American players sprint away from the MLS and go to Europe as soon as possible (McKinnie, Reyna, Pullisic) and really the only top level talent that played any minutes in the MLS were the Aaronsons, Adams, and Pepi. Sure the MLS has gotten a few guys to random places outside of the TOP 6 leagues in Europe, but so does Belgium, and plenty of kids from African nations are scooped up into European academies at a much higher rate than American kids are.

[@BoxinSquare_]

Zealand you should see Giannis Konstantelias at the age of 14 doing things with much more technique and flow ..

[@starz7767]

So you’re telling me a 14 year old is going to Man City meanwhile I’m still tryna get on my varsity team at 16 😑

[@meowwww9275]

Great vid, even better shirts. What are you both wearing?

[@scottcallis3491]

Pleased for Cavan and his family. Wish all the best. 🍀

[@n1troni]

He is good for his age but dont forget with todays football there are alot of "wonderkids" who reach their prime when they turn 18 and its just downfall from there.

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

It’s definitely possible but the fact his brother kept developing makes it less likely that he’s just an early developer.

[@n1troni]

@@kalmenbarkin5708 yea i get that but we should still be more carufel when labeling 14year olds

[@Zephyr653]

It’s very difficult to project young boys’ talent ceiling. As he develops physically, If he loses 1/2 second of lateral speed relative to others, he won’t compete at the highest level. Yes, talent and football IQ compensates massively but hard to project 14 year olds until more developed. Wishing the kid all the success and clearly the biggest clubs on the planet see talent.

[@nyykSIUUU]

btw the hair looks really good man

[@rafidog]

Still gonna refer him as a new Freddy Adu, despite your attempts at trying to convince us otherwise... Let's hope he accomplishes a bit more (Adu wasnt bad but he was greatly overhyped). As much as you can try to hype the MLS academy system, actual sustained results remain to be seen to prove that it's actually "top notch" and developing great players. Beside Alphonso Davies and, to a lesser degree, Gio Reyna, the list of players coming out of there is still far from being impressive (even compared to the criticized Belgian system in this video). Also presenting Haaland and Sadio Mane as "products of Salzburg academy" is greatly misleading. These players were already way past their academy age and were fully professionals when they were playing there. If anything Salzburg was known for scouting international young players with great potential, not developing them from an early age.

[@TheLaughingMustache-oh5ff]

You're talking about a child, why not refer to him by his name and keep the vitriol away until he becomes a grown man.

[@Jdubayou]

@@TheLaughingMustache-oh5ff Because he's a sad person that had nothing better to do than hate on a 14 year old kid and compare him to someone that was playing before Cavan was even born.

[@rafidog]

​@@Jdubayou Way to misinterpret my comment. Saying that referring to him as the new Adu being "vitriol" and that Im "hating" on the kid for it is revealing of what you guys think Adu accomplished. If you cared to read my comment past my first sentence, I actually said I hope Cavan accomplishes more than Adu, and that Adu wasnt bad. I'll add that Adu had a very respectable career that many players would envy. My comment was aimed at the media overhyping him as a new future superstar, while, as you said, he is only 14. That's the exact same treatment Adu had. That has nothing to do about his level or his actual potential, that are basically unknown at this point, only the way he is presented by the media. Pretending it's a different case is just wearing a blindfold and not learning lessons from the past. I actually agree with you, leave the kid alone until he break through and shows what he's really capable of.

[@soul-man]

Let's just wait til he makes it in the MC EDS side, its too early to say tat he is the new messi with just a few clips.

[@gucijaki7508]

would be a nice vid if we actually saw some of this talent

[@paisley_m04]

go watch his highlight reels or philly union 2 games

[@plonzz]

at 10:11 thats actually a picture of Reuell Walters not Auston Trusty @Zealand

[@meinoi7420]

love this i have got 2 watch more !!

[@Yerocco]

A lot of these people don’t understand that overseas it’s not uncommon to have young stars on crazy contracts with insane hype. Do I think it’s fair? No. But it’s a huge compliment to the one being praised. LeBron lived up to it. John McEnroe in tennis. Tara lipinski in figure skating. Mia hamm. And more. The main difference is from then and now is the things we’re saying about these people are so much more spread out through media that it seems like we just overhype something. I look at it more so of being optimistic that another legend is in the making. I love when I go to a friends place and you hear about someone being a “insert video game pro”. I get hype. Like shoot play hop online and show me. Its up to those around to help keep the young one grounded to keep the grind going. Jalen Brunson is a true product of that. His father did him right.

[@pagirios2285]

So how do defenders get recognition? Its seems impossible, everyone is focusing on the strikers

[@sonicwithglasses131]

Hes not a striker lmao, hes an attacking midfielder

[@pagirios2285]

@@sonicwithglasses131 you got my point , how do defenders get recognition?

[@Josh22Gaming]

We will see.... With 14 year old are many like him.... Only one thing is going to affirm if he's good or not time

[@pablo_the_zolo]

best academy in the country and it’s not even close

[@mattgalaxy2040]

As a city fan I hope the club doesnt pressure him too much, we want him to have a smooth development, I dont want us to lose another cole palmer because the club said no to a loan ffs

[@lungabiyela9081]

Remember Sonny Pike? He was supposed to be the next big thing. But the constant hype was tough on him and he couldn't deal with the pressure and ended up driving taxis. Leave the kid alone and let him learn and develop without being describes as the "great American hope". Look at what it did to Freddy Adu. No disrespect meant to taxi drivers, by the way. They provide an important service for which we should all be grateful for.

[@mda990]

Stop trolling. Sullivan is big

[@perigosu8449]

What kind of camera lens do you use? Have you tried moving it further back and zooming in a bit? Or placing it a bit lower?

[@bullionsgaming]

Someone's been playing too much fifa with that tea cup celebration 😂😂😅

[@Oll1000]

Hopefully the story goes more like how it went with Odegaard than how it went with Adu. Then again, I just made a 15M offer for a 16-year old German wonderkid who might not end up being anything special on my FM save...

[@JT-rx1eo]

Put the accent on the second "a" of Cavan and it sounds cooler.

[@Noobie2k7]

And now he just made his Senior Debut still age 14.

[@oakenstake4948]

Tom looking like young Ange Postecoglou cannot be missed

[@BourneIdentity45]

Salzburg didn’t produce those players they just bought them knowing they had high potentials and then sold them on for profit because stature wise they’re never going to beat the traditional clubs but they will be able to guarantee playing time as a springboard to furthering someone’s career. This is what I’ll never get about some journalists they try to say things to improve their argument even though they aren’t 100% true in the way they’re using it, like sure he probably helped them set up their scouting network which allowed them to find the gems they did who later have become star/potential to become stars like Håland Sesko Kjærgaard Sadio mane back in the day, all of those players were ones they scouted and brought in with the idea of helping them as a springboard to get better

[@steliosmouratidis3829]

Great Vid! Only that was not Austin Trusty, that was Walters

[@dionyulloa8298]

We don’t even have to mention Adu. Just because it happened before doesn’t it’ll happen again or that it won’t happen again.

[@lordfarquard9902]

“Based on his celebration I can tell you he’s gonna make it as a pro” He should have witnessed a 10 year old version of me doing the Kuqi as a kid 😂

[@wedgeman8910]

that is literally just Phil Foden changing places very quickly

[@adaldi_]

Catch up Zealand, an American bloke in front of a green light eating chocolate turtles who refuses to run covered this story a month ago

[@FaraazAhmad]

KZbinr so good his hairline is growing back

[@peacefrog5193]

never

[@andreanecchi5930]

there are some guys who play in the USL who are bought by some teams in the Netherlands and Belgium

[@kalmenbarkin5708]

Bottom of the Netherlands and Belgium are MLS level. You’re talking 3-4 million euro budgets with no notable internationals. That’s not a big deal - even if PSV/Feyenoord/Ajax are a big deal.

[@j3av3a]

He can also play for Bangladesh before he reaches 21. That way he can get his name out there to the World.

[@wagfinpis]

Very interesting. Time will tell more. The big doubt in my mind that they didn't represent in this video is he doesn't need to be as good as we hope he will become. The marketing path for hyping American talent for the American dollar in the top 5 leagues is well established. If you put a talented player in the right role it is easy to make them look better individually than they really are. I hope the kid enjoys devouring his challenges and lives a meaningful life and maybe he can also become something like a Premier League top 10% player.

[@philippscheutz786]

Neither Haaland nor Szoboszlai went to the Red Bull Salzburg Academy. They were bought after showing up at their home club.

[@thargoff]

Szoboszlai signed for Salzburg at 16 and went through the whole RB pyramid (Salzburg U18, Liefering, Salzburg, Leipzig). And that's what is meant: identify talent young and then nurture them with your expertise. At 16 Szoboszlai wasn't a sure fire thing, as Sullivan isn't either, of course. But if you have the right people around that helps massively. And if you have a guy that has this pedigree that means a lot.

[@pagirios2285]

@@thargoff szoboszlai is an average player i think

[@thargoff]

@@pagirios2285 Average? Lol. Starter at a Top 3 PL club, captain of a Euro qualified, Nations League A, world Top 30 national team at 23, yeah, average, of course. But that doesn't even matter, the point is the guy referenced in the video has the expertise how to build up young players, knows how to handle them and make sure (as sure as can be) they reach their potential.

[@pagirios2285]

@@thargoff its a joke i wanted some attention dont mind me

[@Popmycherryyo]

Just wait until Kevin de Bruyne identifies as a 14 year old, then this kid aint gonna have NOTHING on him. Back to second best 14 year old...he ougth'a know his place.

[@matthewrochowski6593]

12:00 holy shit, that's Connor Antley, my college team captain lol. Also played with Weston McKinney in FCD academy... And now I'm doing medical research.

[@Raynax235]

Good footballers come out of nowhere. I remember the viral England U15s in 2017 had musiala and Bellingham on the bench and American Musah as captain & palmer starting. The rest of the first 11 are all now playing at best league 2 or 1 football with some players playing in Dubai. The next american talent could be some unknown guy

[@MuliBoom]

Talking about the celebration after a tap-in goal and making it a big deal, really took me out of this video. If that's this guy's first thought, it's hard to take him seriously

[@jonathanj3806]

👐Americans👐

[@nsriv225]

He was watching a U-15 tournament, had seen the player earlier, and even said it wasn't a special goal, just thought the celebration confirmed his prior thought. Maybe chill a little bit and let someone have fun and be enthusiastic?

[@BobSmith-ql7fb]

@@nsriv225I truly cannot believe how many people here took a funny story to intro a player as serious analysis 😭

[@osobad1127]

He’s the next Freddie Adu! Excited

[@testertesteb4915]

I hope they loan him out to a decent team in the top 5 leagues