Tampa Bay Rowdies make Freddy Adu signing official

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have added to their attack, signing former USMNT regular Freddy Adu. There had been reports over the past week that the two sides were close to an agreement, and on Tuesday, the club made the official announcement.

While Adu was once one of the hottest prospects in world football, things just never panned out for the player as most Americans would have hoped. He's shown flashes of excellence when playing domestically, but every spell in Europe has gone poorly for the player, and a return to the United States just made sense for the 26-year old.

The Cosmos had been linked in the past, and while they talked to the player and his representatives at one point, the sides were never on the same page. Tampa made more sense, however, as Adu has worked with coach Thomas Rongen in the past, who is thrilled to be reunited with Freddy:

"Freddy and I have always respected each other. He’s a very unique player, very gifted. He’s a difference-maker. He’s got superb technical ability and field awareness. He’s a guy that I’ve always enjoyed being around on and off the field. He’s got a wonderful sense of humor and is a good teammate. He can make any team better."

"I’m someone he relates to and someone he feels comfortable with. I like daring, creative players and Freddy has those qualities. His signing has immense upside for a club that is already making its mark in the NASL."

How much Adu can bring to the Rowdies remains to be seen, but if anyone is going to help resurrect his career, it's probably Rongen.