WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thirteen-year-old soccer prodigy Freddy Adu agreed to a $1 million contract with Nike, The Washington Post reported Monday.
Adu, already an offensive star on the U.S. under-17 national team, also has agreed to be represented by SportsNet, LLC.
Arnold Tarzay, a lawyer and family adviser, did not confirm the amount of the deal to the Post, which cited sources for the worth of the multiyear contract. The paper said Adu is not likely to sign a pro contract for at least a year.
Nike spokeswoman Celeste Alleyne did not comment to The Associated Press. A call to a representative of the U.S. under-17 team was not immediately returned.
The agreement comes less than a week after Nike signed high school phenom LeBron James, the expected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, to an endorsement contract worth more than $90 million.
Adu would become ineligible for NCAA soccer with this deal, but he does not plan to play in college.
A native of Ghana, Adu came to the United States when he was 8 and has been training with the national team in Bradenton, Fla. He became a citizen in February.
Adu played for the under-17 team that lost to Mexico 2-1 on Sunday and beat Costa Rica 3-2 on Monday in Lancaster, Calif.
Adu, already an offensive star on the U.S. under-17 national team, also has agreed to be represented by SportsNet, LLC.
Arnold Tarzay, a lawyer and family adviser, did not confirm the amount of the deal to the Post, which cited sources for the worth of the multiyear contract. The paper said Adu is not likely to sign a pro contract for at least a year.
Nike spokeswoman Celeste Alleyne did not comment to The Associated Press. A call to a representative of the U.S. under-17 team was not immediately returned.
The agreement comes less than a week after Nike signed high school phenom LeBron James, the expected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, to an endorsement contract worth more than $90 million.
Adu would become ineligible for NCAA soccer with this deal, but he does not plan to play in college.
A native of Ghana, Adu came to the United States when he was 8 and has been training with the national team in Bradenton, Fla. He became a citizen in February.
Adu played for the under-17 team that lost to Mexico 2-1 on Sunday and beat Costa Rica 3-2 on Monday in Lancaster, Calif.
what if this kid "grows out" or soccer?
