Matt Freeze turned down United move to attend Harvard (Image: Getty)
USA goalkeeper Matt Freese says he once turned down the chance to sign with Manchester United to prioritize his education. The Pennsylvania native only made his US national team debut last year but is now his country’s top goalkeeper at the World Cup.
The 27-year-old, who represents MLS side New York City FC, has been a reassuring presence between the posts throughout the tournament so far. He scored just one goal in straight wins over Paraguay and Australia. Under former Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino, the Americans have made an impressive start at home and will advance to the knockout stages as Group D winners.
Freese’s career trajectory could have been completely different during his time at the Philadelphia Union academy after receiving a tempting offer from United.
However, as his parents wanted him to focus on his studies rather than football, the move to Old Trafford was not a success.
“It was very much a family decision,” Freese told Hudson River Blue. “There were some difficult conversations between me and my parents about this.
“There was a clear path I wanted to take, but I had to respect what they wanted. They sacrificed so much for me, so I had to pay it back and honor what they wanted, and then when the time came, make a decision for myself.”
Instead of crossing the Atlantic to join United, Freese attended Harvard University, one of the most respected academic institutions in the world.
He studied economics while developing his football skills by regularly competing for the Harvard Crimson football team.
Freese enjoyed a successful World Cup campaign with the USMNT. (Image: Getty)
Freese eventually left university a year early to sign with boyhood club Philadelphia Union as a home-grown player ahead of the 2019 MLS campaign.
Just a few months later, he made his professional debut and admitted that the decision to put his studies on hold was an obvious one.
“It was very clear to me that in order to have the career I wanted on the field and achieve what I wanted to achieve on the field, the earlier I could start my career the better,” he said.
“It was a pretty natural decision – everyone was on the same page.”
Freeze, who continued his studies remotely and earned an economics degree from Harvard, found regular first-team opportunities limited behind Jamaican international Andre Blake and was traded to New York in 2023.
The move marked a turning point in Freese’s career, earning him New York’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2024 season, followed quickly by his first international call-up the following month.
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