'He should have started more games than he has' - Freddy Adu expresses concern over Cavan Sullivan's lack of playing time with the Philadelphia Union

Sullivan made his senior breakthrough in July 2024 at the barely-believable age of 14 years and 293 days. Such an entrance understandably attracted widespread interest, with events in North America capturing the imagination of a global audience.

The same was once true of Adu, who made his own bow with D.C. United at the same age as Sullivan - with 20 years separating those two record-setting occasions. Living up to expectations is notoriously difficult, with natural ability no guarantee of career-long success.

Sullivan is, however, considered to be the hottest of prospects and has continued to make impressive progress on the back of securing a future move to Premier League giants Manchester City.

He will be a more mature and seasoned performer when that switch is made, with the Union set to benefit from precocious talent for some time yet. Are they doing enough to push Sullivan forward - with rivals such as the New York Red Bulls handing regular game time to teenagers Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos this season?

When that question was put to Adu, the former United States international - speaking exclusively to GOAL via https://casinostreamers.com/ - said: “I do think that he should have started more games than he has. At this point in time, anyways. I think he needs that experience. He needs to know or to learn how to be a regular starter for a team. For a professional team, is what I would say. 

“He's obviously a regular starter when he plays with their youth team and also the youth national team and whatnot. But, it's different when you're playing against grown men who this is their job, who have kids, who have families to support. It's different. They worked their whole lives to get there. So, you need to learn as a young player how to be a regular starter. How to do whatever it takes to help the team win. 

“Sometimes when you're a young player and you have a big name and they put you in, there will be games - there'll be a lot of games actually - where you have to play a sort of way that maybe you're not accustomed to because that's what's needed for the team to have the best chance in that particular game.”

Adu went on to say: “I do think that Philadelphia's being careful not to put too much on his plate right now. I do think that. But I think that there's a way you can do it. And Philly's right to be careful. I mean, it's a unique situation. But there is a way to do that. 

“I think, in a 10-game span, maybe he gets four to six starts. And maybe you bring him off the bench and play half-an-hour or the last 20 minutes of the game etc. But he does need that experience. I think coming off the bench is a completely different sort of mentality than when you're a starter.”

While Sullivan is more than capable of filling an impact role, he is aware that his development cannot - and should not - be rushed. There will come a point, though, where that process needs to be accelerated.

Adu added on the challenges that Sullivan faces in trying to lock down a starting berth: “As a young player, you come on in the last 20 minutes or so and you've got to really catch up to this flow and the speed of the game. 

“And it's tough to make an impact that way because it's going to take you a little bit to catch up to that. And sometimes there's different situations. Sometimes the game calls for if somebody gets injured and you come in and the game calls for, OK, you've got to help the team defend and protect the lead. Or you've got to help the team try and get a goal. Or you've got to help the team maintain possession. It's just so many different ways that could go. And as a player, it's just tough. 

“But when you are a regular starter, when you become a regular starter, your thinking is completely different. It's like, alright, we go from the beginning, ready to go. You know, you're in the floor of the game with everybody else. You learn as you're playing as a starter, you really do learn to become a difference-maker as a starter.”

The Union could do with a flash of inspiration from somewhere as they remain winless and pointless through five games at the start of the 2026 MLS season - leaving them rooted to the foot of the Eastern Conference.

Sullivan’s time will come, of that there is no doubt, he just needs to be patient and ready for when his big moment arrives. If a stumble out of the blocks cannot be rectified quickly in Philly, then faith will likely be shown in an emerging superstar sooner rather than later.