United States Soccer League side FC Tulsa have made history by signing 14-year-old Renan Mendoza to an academy deal and including him in their roster for the upcoming season.
If he plays this season, Mendoza will follow in the footsteps of cult legend Freddy Adu by playing professional soccer in America at the age of 14. Mendoza, who was born in 2008, has been with the Tulsa Soccer Club since 2017 and has been playing with their youth sides ever since.
The teenager also played for the United States under-15 Futsal side last year, and shone at the 2021 Portimao International Cup with six goals and two assists in six matches at the tournament. Now, he will be hoping to make his debut in America's second-tier before he can legally watch a 15-rated film.
Speaking after making his new contract official, Mendoza discussed playing alongside professionals at such a young age, and opened up on the advice they'd given him during training sessions.
He said: “I am excited about the opportunity of playing with experienced pro players and trying to learn as much as I can from them on and off the pitch.
“When I first started training, I was timid and nervous, but as the training sessions went on, the players around me were making me feel comfortable and giving good advice that helped improve my game.
"I also would like to thank God, my family, my coaches, TSC and Tulsa Soccer Academy, and Coach John Michael who’s helped me since I was eight.”
While his career may just be beginning, Mendoza's story is eerily similar to that of Adu, who made his first-team debut in MLS for DC United at the age of 14. Adu still holds the record for youngest goalscorer in MLS history, having found the net against now-defunct MetroStars at just 14.
Despite shining at a young age, Adu's career never really took off, and he is now without a club at 33 having played for 15 different sides since his debut in 2004.
