Cavan Sullivan — 14-years-old midfielder makes record-youngest MLS debut

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Last night Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to appear in a league match for a major professional league (including NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL) in the United States, breaking Freddy Adu's record set in 2004 by 13 days. The left-footed attacking midfielder is eligible to represent both the US and Germany and his family confirmed he already has a contract clause that ensures his transfer to Manchester City once he turns 18. He can leave the States earlier though - If he develops rapidly and can play in Europe at age 16 (but too early to move to England), there's a talk and a big chance he initially moves to one of the European clubs that share ownership with Man City, like Girona, Belgian Lommel, Palermo or Troyes.

Breaking Adu's record is quite something but I am sure Sullivan is hoping to have the better career than him. Contract clause with City at such young age is obscene.
 
Much Adu about nothing
 
14 is way too young to give a player his senior debut. Putting way too much pressure on the kid at such a young age, ridiculous.
 
Oscar Bonavena said:
14 is way too young to give a player his senior debut. Putting way too much pressure on the kid at such a young age, ridiculous.
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I would argue that there is a way to do it without applying any pressure to the kid at all. He is 14, no one is expecting him to win them the league. Let him go an test himself against the best and find out what his level is. If he has nothing to prove at the underage level competition in his country then it is better to have him play seniors and find what he needs to work on than have him playing unengaged at a level that is beneath him.
 
I read about him. Sounds an exciting talent. Damn shame he's one of the millions already under City Group control.

It's frustrating how many pies City are allowed to have their fingers in. So he's signed for Philadelphia - who aren't a City Group team - but they've already come to an agreement with the City Group that he'll join them in 4 years time, aged 18, and might go to one of their other European teams first on loan?

Having so many clubs allows them to control the movements of so many players - especially younger ones. They're like Holmes' description of Moriarty: "He is the Napoleon of crime. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them."

I particularly don't agree with how teams can apparently sell a player to another club and put in the contract that they can't then sell him to specific clubs in the future. One club shouldn't be able to dictate another clubs future right to buy a player once they've been sold by them. But having so many different clubs is allowing that kind of control of so many players movements.
 
Bertie Wooster said:
I read about him. Sounds an exciting talent. Damn shame he's one of the millions already under City Group control.

It's frustrating how many pies City are allowed to have their fingers in. So he's signed for Philadelphia - who aren't a City Group team - but they've already come to an agreement with the City Group that he'll join them in 4 years time, aged 18, and might go to one of their other European teams first on loan?

Having so many clubs allows them to control the movements of so many players - especially younger ones. They're like Holmes' description of Moriarty: "He is the Napoleon of crime. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them."

I particularly don't agree with how teams can apparently sell a player to another club and put in the contract that they can't then sell him to specific clubs in the future. One club shouldn't be able to dictate another clubs future right to buy a player once they've been solved by them. But having so many different clubs is allowing that kind of control of so many players movements.
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Exactly. They shouldn’t be allowed to do this.
 
A clause binding a 14-year-old to a move in 4 years time sounds very dodgy. Clubs have been given transfer bans for skirting rules designed to stop underage poaching.
 
Pexbo said:
Much Adu about nothing
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I would agree except: I am curious how successful City’s recruitment and development system has started to become in the States. It is the most under utilized ground for prospective players in the world maybe.

So his youth contract ensured he goes to City when he’s 18? If they have that as an automatic trigger in the youth contracts of all their recruits ….. that’s very interesting.
 
Bluelion7 said:
I would agree except: I am curious how successful City’s recruitment and development system has started to become in the States. It is the most under utilized ground for prospective players in the world maybe.

So his youth contract ensured he goes to City when he’s 18? If they have that as an automatic trigger in the youth contracts of all their recruits ….. that’s very interesting.
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There won't be a city when he's 18
 
Bertie Wooster said:
I read about him. Sounds an exciting talent. Damn shame he's one of the millions already under City Group control.

It's frustrating how many pies City are allowed to have their fingers in. So he's signed for Philadelphia - who aren't a City Group team - but they've already come to an agreement with the City Group that he'll join them in 4 years time, aged 18, and might go to one of their other European teams first on loan?

Having so many clubs allows them to control the movements of so many players - especially younger ones. They're like Holmes' description of Moriarty: "He is the Napoleon of crime. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them."

I particularly don't agree with how teams can apparently sell a player to another club and put in the contract that they can't then sell him to specific clubs in the future. One club shouldn't be able to dictate another clubs future right to buy a player once they've been sold by them. But having so many different clubs is allowing that kind of control of so many players movements.
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But they will be allowed to. We have a clause in Guehi’s contract that says Chelsea have right of first refusal on any sale: if we want him, they have to sell to us. These types of arrangements have been around for a long time. You don’t need a multi club system to do it.

And the teams in question either get monetary compensation, lower prices, or both in exchange.

The multi club model, if done correctly, gives you more avenue for developing talent and recruitment. The recruiting and developing part would interest me most. If you could draw in even 3% of the truly elite athletic talent in the US to soccer/football, that would make a massive impact; especially if you drew them at an early age to really develop.
 
Bluelion7 said:
So his youth contract ensured he goes to City when he’s 18? If they have that as an automatic trigger in the youth contracts of all their recruits ….. that’s very interesting.
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Interesting and also not very much in the spirit of not poaching underage players?
 
Jimble said:
116!!
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After their hearing finds them not guilty and they survive the threat of expulsion from the Premier League, do you reckon their players will get "116 Not Out" t-shirts in celebration?

Edit: spelling
 
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Bluelion7 said:
. If you could draw in even 3% of the truly elite athletic talent in the US to soccer/football, that would make a massive impact; especially if you drew them at an early age to really develop.
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This is a fair point and the sport is gradually becoming more and more popular in the US. I wonder when we will see the first real superstar from there, it's bound to happen!
 
MLS is a cheap joke. Trotting out a 14 year old boy for a little bit of publicity. For his own sake and even though it'll be at City, I hope he gets to England quickly where he can be managed and developed and not used as a little TV ratings bump.
 
I don't think it even matters how good he is, 14 is just way too young.
 
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