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.