'The future is coming towards you' - USMNT's Alex Freeman on making the move to Villarreal and growing up fast in Spain

Freeman's move to Villarreal wasn't exactly a surprise, largely because rumors had been swirling ever since his Gold Cup breakout. The timing of it was unexpected, though, even for Freeman.

"I was visualizing it," he says. "You see the rumors, you see online, you see all the posts, but I think for me, I was visualizing it. It's not planning it, but it was seeing how it would work when I get there."

The process of getting there came together quickly. Villarreal had no concrete plans to sign Freeman in January, but that all changed when defender Juan Foyth ruptured his Achilles tendon. The club needed defensive cover and, realistically, they surely believed it wouldn't be a bad idea to give Freeman something of a head start. So, they made their move early to sign the 21-year-old defender.

This wasn't a short-term move, however. It wasn't a panic buy or a temporary fix. By giving Freeman a six-year contract, the club made it clear that they see him as a key part of their future.

"It's kind of like 'Wow!' They put that confidence in me knowing that they want me to stay," Freeman says. "They want me long-term, right? To show that commitment to me is very special. I just want to be a better player every day and hopefully get to a moment where I am able to really show myself."

The transfer process was jarring, Freeman admits. There was little time to say goodbye to his old teammates. There was little time to meet his new ones before travelling to Osasuna just two days after arriving in Spain.

"I had to speed pack," he says with a laugh. "I barely had any of my stuff. Then, on top of that, I was in a hotel for like a month and a half, and that was really all I had. The main things I did were train, go home, play PS5, sleep, and go out occasionally to eat. Other than that, that's just how I moved. I just had so much to process. We knew I'd leave eventually, but it happened so soon that it caught everyone off guard."

Now, though, he's made his way through the settling-in process. Now, he's finding a little bit more comfort.

Freeman officially signed for Villarreal on Jan. 28. On Feb. 9, he made his debut by coming off the bench against Espanyol. The days between that are a blur. Everything was moving at lightning speed, although there was a sense of anticipation.

"I had a feeling. I had hope," he says of his debut. "You never really know, but stepping on the field, especially at home? It was crazy. Every time I'd hear whistling. It goes insane. I've never experienced anything like that. It's a really big stadium, and it's always packed no matter what day.

"It's a very good atmosphere over there. People are very welcoming. Everyone likes to talk, enjoy each other's company, stuff like that. There's also this aspect of them being very passionate about the sport. It's a little more pressure. It's more demanding, but the fans are also behind you all the time. They want what's best for the club at the end of the day, right?"

In the two months since, Freeman hasn't played a huge role. He's featured five times, but has played just 58 minutes. Villarreal seem content to ease their 21-year-old defender in, particularly given his lack of experience at the highest level. A year ago, he was making his first start for Orlando City, so Freeman gets it. There's something to be said about being patient and learning, particularly in these first few weeks.

"How fast the play is, it's ridiculous," he says. "You have no time on the ball. When I first got there, I'd never seen anything like that in my life. It's the fastest pace I've ever played at."

For many players, that could lead to some doubts. Freeman, though, has none. These sorts of adjustments aren't particularly new for him. Just last summer, in his first international game, he was tasked with shutting down Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz. By fall, he was starting for the USMNT and scoring twice, against Uruguay. This, then, is just another step up, not unlike the ones he's made previously.

"When you go to places like this, you're always going to have, not doubts, but questions," he says. "It's about putting yourself first and risking yourself, right? Not only do you want to be a better player, but a better person. I moved so far away from home. I have to properly grow up now, right? I can't be a kid anymore. I can't get kid treatment."

As big of an adjustment as it is on a personal level, Freeman also knows he needs to take advantage of the opportunities to grow on the pitch as well. Villarreal are known for being a strong club in developing players.

"Football-wise, this is one of the things I need in my game. I need to take it up a notch and be more technical. It's something that, if I had to choose a club, I would choose this club in this country because it's somewhere where I can take my next step," he says. "It was always the right move for me. I needed to go, not only to prove myself, because I have done that in the past, but to really test myself. I want to show that I am able to do it and be in that environment."

Freeman is used to Florida life, so the off-field transition to Spain wasn't so bad. He's no stranger to warm climates. Spain is different, though. The city of Vila-real isn't like anywhere he's lived before.

"The food is great," he says with a laugh. "It's cheap, too. The Paella? Seafood? Oh my God. Everyone's respectful, everyone's dressed nice, the city's always crowded. Everyone just enjoys life. I feel like in Spain, that's the main thing they do.

"I would say the past few weeks, it's all gotten easier. I got my house, got my car, got everything I need. My family came out, so that made it better. I think everything has kind of clicked, and it feels good."

It's helped that multiple teammates have taken him under their wings. Former MLS stars and current Canadian internationals Tajon Buchanan and Tani Oluwaseyi have really helped. Renato Veiga, who took the field for Portugal against the USMNT last month, has been great, too. Thomas Partey and Nicolas Pepe both speak English from their time in England, so there has been no shortage of people for Freeman to talk to.

That said, Freeman is still learning. If he's going to be with Villarreal for a while, and he plans to be, he'll need to improve his Spanish. That, in his eyes, is just another test.

"It's a good journey that I really need," he says. "Not knowing Spanish as much makes it harder because you don't know the language, but for me, it's been good. The group of guys has been so welcoming. Spanish life is also good. There's a lot I can explore."

Exploring isn't the priority right now, though. There are too many soccer-related goals to chase, particularly in a World Cup year.

There was always a risk to Freeman's move. By moving in January, just a few short months before the World Cup, Freeman put his roster spot on the line. He was making a bet on himself, one that could pay off in the long run. However, the adjustment period that he is currently going through could threaten his place.

USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino doesn't really see it that way, though.

"I want the players to play at their best in the team," Pochettino said in March. "Maybe you say Gio Reyna or Alex Freeman, they are not playing too much right now, but it's different. If you give your best and after you don't get gametime, if that happens, okay. What I don't want is to not give your best, and then you don't get time."

That said, though, Freeman is working hard to get onto the field. That work is largely done out of the public eye on the training field, but, just as Pochettino alluded to, he's working hard.

"One of the things I want to achieve is just to be my best self," Freeman says. "There are so many things that I can improve on. Over these next few months, that's the goal: try to be happy. I'm going to continue to practice hard, continue to do the stuff off the field to make sure I get that chance, but there is a next step: performing every weekend in La Liga. That's the goal for me."

World Cups and big transfers. USMNT breakthroughs and move to Spain. The goals are coming quickly for Freeman, and he's checking them off faster than even he could have anticipated. What does he think about it, though? What part of all of this excites him most? The simple answer is "all of it".

"I'm hyped about a lot of stuff," he says. "It's really hard to even talk about what's exciting because I can barely take it all in. Come back to me in June, and hopefully there's even more to be hyped about. Six months [later], things are different. Three months [later], things are different. Nothing is ever settling."

Freeman sure isn't, anyway. The 21-year-old defender is still growing and, if the past year is any indication, he'll be growing quickly.