World Cup star chose to study economics instead of joining Manchester United
Turning down Manchester United to focus on university studies isn’t something many football fans would do, but for one World Cup star, that’s exactly what happened.
Playing for your country at the World Cup is a dream for many footballers, and one player has reached this goal by taking a different path than most.
This is the story of Matt Freese, the United States goalkeeper, who revealed he once said no to joining Premier League giants Manchester United so he could focus on his education first.
At 27, Freese is now Mauricio Pochettino’s top pick as goalkeeper, even though he only made his US debut last year.
He’s had a great World Cup so far, letting in just one goal in two games as the US easily beat Paraguay and Australia in the group stage.
Freese currently plays for New York City FC in the MLS, after coming through the Philadelphia Union academy. But things could have been very different if he had accepted Manchester United’s offer years ago.
In an interview with Hudson River Blue, Freese shared that his family wanted him to focus on school, so he chose to follow their wishes instead of moving to Old Trafford.
He said, “It was mostly a family decision. There were some tough talks with my parents. I had a clear plan, but I had to respect what they wanted. They sacrificed a lot for me, so I wanted to honor that and then make my own choices when the time was right.”
Freese went on to study economics at Harvard University while still playing for their soccer team.
He didn’t finish at Harvard, though, leaving after a year to sign with Philadelphia Union—his hometown club—as a homegrown player before the 2019 MLS season.
For him, the choice to pause school and go pro was easy. “I knew that if I wanted to have the career I dreamed of on the field, starting sooner was better,” he said. “It felt natural and everyone agreed.”