The 14-year-old shared what making his professional debut meant to him and – after a true rollercoaster of a week – where it could all lead
At times it might seem too unbelievable to be true, but 14-year-old U.S. Soccer prodigy Cavan Sullivan has the world in his hands.
He made his professional soccer debut last week with the Philadelphia Union first team, becoming the youngest professional athlete across seven major-sports leagues in the U.S. to ever appear in a regular-season game. He’s signed the largest homegrown contract in MLS history, a deal that includes a clause that will see him transferred to Premier league giant Manchester City at the age of 18.
But ask Sullivan how much all of that matters, and he insists he's instead focused only on the present.
The future, he admits, is “exciting,” but it's the present in which he he can improve and can establish himself, all of which will set the foundation for his ambitions as a professional footballer.
At 14, Sullivan's future is literally unfolding in front of him, but his attitude and mentality is that of a mature-beyond-his-age professional who is composed and ready to embrace any coming challenges.
In an exclusive interview with GOAL at Lower.com Field in Columbus, site of this week's MLS All-Star Game, the U.S. men’s national team prodigy shared what making his professional debut meant to him and – after a true rollercoaster of a week – where it could all lead.
USA Today ImagesOne moment
The lights shined bright at Subaru Park last Wednesday. With a sold-out crowd on hand for the Union's match with the New England Revolution, it was a night of celebration, a night of history.
It was Sullivan’s night, even though he had truly little impact on the match. As he was introduced in the 85th minute, the crowd roared with excitement. Cheers of “Cavan, Cavan, Cavan” echoed throughout the Park as the 14-year-old trotted onto the pitch, with a cheeky smile on his face, paired with eyes of determination.
“It was like… I've never been on the field with noise like that,” he said, recalling the thrilling moment that he took the pitch. "Obviously, I've been to European Games where the stands are cool and all, but especially hearing it … it was pretty cool. And having my name being the chant was even better.”
Even as his name was still being shouted across the stadium, he immediately was on the ball and completed his first professional pass. Bang, history made.
It wasn’t just any pass, though. In a truly remarkable moment, the recipient was his elder brother, Quinn, 19, who just one minute prior had scored a worldie of an effort for the Union’s fifth goal of the match.
As Cavan was on the ball, the duo exchanged glances on the pitch, and after receiving the pass, Quinn found his brother once again to hand him the ball back.
“I think he was there to support me right when he saw me get the ball, and then it meant a lot for him to give it back to me – so it was pretty cool,” Cavan said. “And then we actually did something about the play. I wish I kept running with it for a shot, but yeah, it was pretty awesome.”
Sullivan had celebrated his elder brother's goal just a minute before. Buzzing with a smile as he was asked about the memorable moment, he sat up with excitement, saying “Yeah! Bang-bang, back-post, right-footed curler… it was beautiful.”
Unsurprised by the effort, Cavan claimed it’s the type of goal he knows his brother can regularly score, even though it was only his ninth professional goal across 107 senior appearances.
“He's a good finisher," Sullivan said of his brother. "He does shooting (drills) every day after training. So I mean, he's worked for that and moments like those.”
His debut was a family affair, which seemed only appropriate.
AdvertisementUSA Today ImagesIt runs in the family
Quinn and Cavan are not the only Sullivan soccer players. Parents Brendan and Heike both played collegiately at the University of Pennsylvania, while grandfather Larry also played at Temple University. After his collegiate career, Larry turned to coaching, where he ran the touchline at Villanova University for 16 years – and coached none other than current Union boss Jim Curtin.
Cavan's uncle, Chris Albright, is the general manager for FC Cincinnati, and he also has cousins and other family members that play. The game is genuinely in his family's blood, and Sullivan says he has all the support in the world as he leaps into his football career.
For his professional debut, everyone was there, watching as he became the latest in his family's line to take the pitch at a competitive level. And for Cavan, that also meant etching his name forever in the lore of U.S. Soccer.
USA Today ImagesMaking history
Sullivan's pro debut came at 14 years, 293 days, topping Freddy Adu's the record by 13 days. Adu had set the mark at 14 years, 306 days when he debuted for D.C. United in 2004. What's more, it's not just an MLS record – Cavan is the youngest debutant in history across the MLB, NFL, MLS, NHL, NWSL and NBA. Adu’s long-standing record was shattered, 20 years of history broken in an instant.
Adu, though, was thrilled for Sullivan, posting on social media to congratulate the Union youngster, wishing him well for the future.
“It was pretty, pretty awesome to hear the words from someone like him,” Sullivan said of Adu’s post, one that he shared on his own social media accounts. “I have a lot of respect for him and holding the record for 20 years is no joke.” Sullivan jokingly added, “I doubt my record will be held for more than 10 (years), but yeah, it was pretty awesome, and that's why I reposted it because it meant so much.”
An icon of a generation, Adu was dubbed the “American Pele” as a teenager when he broke through in MLS, the USMNT and eventually Europe. Although there are many points of comparison between the two, Sullivan isn’t focused on Adu or U.S. Soccer’s history. Rather, he’s embracing his moment, and who he is as a footballer: Just Cavan Sullivan.
"My ambition is to become a consistent player in the first team, and also to just keep developing in the second team,” he said. “I want to win the Cup with both the second and first team – so yeah, starting to make more of an impact on both teams.”
USA Today ImagesWearing the badge
His ambitions aren’t just at the club level, though.
Much like Adu 20 years ago, Sullivan has aspirations to represent his country on the biggest stage. He has played for various U.S. Youth national teams, all the way up to the U15 squad. Recently, he helped them to a U15 CONCACAF Championship, where he was awarded the Golden Ball for his contributions during an incredible run.
He scored three goals, all of them during the group stage, while helping them to a dominant knockout round all the way through the final, a 4-2 victory over rivals Mexico. Although he hasn’t quite made the leap to the older youth national teams, he’s ready to embrace any challenge club or country presents, saying “I'm looking forward to just whenever I get the chance to go to one (U.S. Soccer camp), that's all."
Along with potential national team cameos on the horizon, there's also a jump to Europe in the coming years.