Awarded in conjunction with Rising Ballers, past winners of FotMob’s monthly GOAT award include Yan Diomandé, Nico Paz, and Eliot Anderson. For the month of October, we headed to Spain in order to catch up with a USMNT international developing quickly in LaLiga.
There was a time not so long ago when Alex Freeman wasn’t widely known as Alex Freeman. He was, to many, the son of former Green Bay Packers wide receiver and Super Bowl winner Antonio Freeman. Since then, however, the 22-year-old has made a name for himself as one of the brightest prospects in American soccer.
Freeman’s upward trajectory to this point could hardly have been any steeper. At the start of last year, he graduated from MLS’s development league (called MLS Next Pro) to Orlando City’s senior team. Now, less than two years later, Freeman is impressing for Villarreal and a key member of Mauricio Pochettino’s US men’s national team.
Some of Freeman’s numbers highlight his growing importance at club level. Only one player is averaging more recoveries per 90 minutes for Villarreal this season than the American who also ranks highly for clearances, tackles and defensive contributions in general per 90 minutes. His statistics are solid.
This explains why Freeman has been recognised as FotMob’s Young Player of the Month for October. The American is attracting attention for his ever-improving performances in yellow and it’s possible his rise could continue for a while longer. Bigger clubs than Villarreal are surely watching Freeman closely.
“For me as a full-back, it’s how can you go up and down, and how can you be quick?” Freeman told FotMob when we asked him about the tag line ‘light as a motorcycle, powerful as a truck’ that Villarreal have used when posting about their star defender on their social accounts.
“I think that quote talks about: can I be quick in certain situations and then, defensively, can I be aggressive enough to defend these fast, aggressive wingers? It’s US culture, especially with my background as well. My dad played football, and that’s known to be a physical sport. I think that goes with “powerful as a truck.””
There was no guarantee that Freeman’s $7m move to Spain would work out. It was a risk. He’d played just one full season of senior football in MLS and might have floundered in LaLiga without much experience under his belt. Many assumed Freeman would have to stay patient for an opportunity to prove his quality at Villarreal.
Instead, Freeman found himself in the team within weeks, making his LaLiga debut just two weeks after arriving. Within two months, he was starting games ahead of a World Cup that saw Freeman start four out of five matches for the USA. At no point has Freeman ever appeared out of his depth.
“Knowing that I’m able to do this at such a young age, I feel like it means: what else can I do? I still have so much more future, so much more career ahead of me,” said Freeman. “How can I keep working to get to the moment where I can be a US great or be talked about? What can I do to make my career progress even more and be that top player I want to be?”
More and more of Freeman’s all-round game is starting to shine through for The Yellow Submarine. While coach Iñigo Pérez initially used the American for his natural defensive qualities, he is now trusting Freeman to perform a greater role in possession. In a recent match against Valencia, Freeman even played on the left side.
In that game at Mestalla, Freeman scored his first LaLiga goal, getting on the end of a cross into the box to power home a header. It was the sort of moment the young defender became renowned for at Orlando City, but hadn’t had an opportunity to demonstrate for Villarreal. Freeman is growing with almost every outing.
Freeman’s performance in a recent meeting with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu was almost as eye-catching, albeit for different reasons. Pitted directly against previous FotMob Young Player of the Month Yan Diomande, plus Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé, the 22-year-old more than held his own, registering the most defensive contributions of any player on the pitch.
In almost every way, Freeman’s game is built for the modern age. He is physically strong and stands tall at 6ft 2”, giving him presence in both boxes. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and is tactically adaptable, capable of playing on both sides and in a variety of different formations. Freeman can play as a right-sided centre back in a back three just as well as he can operate as a high and wide attacking full back.
If Freeman was worth $7m at the start of the year, he is surely worth far more now. Recent speculation linked the 22-year-old with Tottenham Hotspur and it’s easy to envisage him making the step up to the Premier League just as well as he has made every step up asked of him over the last two years.
“One step at a time,” said Freeman. “I always think about this moment, but I also think about what the future can hold.” The future could hold a lot for a player whose natural skill set appears suited to the elite level. Freeman’s steep upward trajectory might yet reach new heights very soon.
(Cover image from IMAGO, other images from Rising Ballers)
The FotMob Young Player of the Month Award is decided by virtue of average FotMob match ratings and run in conjunction with Rising Ballers. For all related content, make sure you follow @fotmobapp and @RisingBallers on Instagram.
Check out a detailed list of past winners – here.