Cavan Sullivan made his debut for the USA on Saturday night, playing an hour of the friendly win over Peru. The midfielder, who turns 17 today, will join Manchester City on his 18th birthday.
Mauricio Pochettino has rewarded Sullivan with his first cap on the back of a stunning run of form in Major League Soccer, where he has shone for Philadelphia Union despite being only 16. Since the summer break for the World Cup, no-one has more goal contributions than the youngster, and the sole player who has matched Sullivan's 13 is Lionel Messi.
Pochettino's praise
Coaches at club and international level have been careful not to rush his progress, but his form this year made him almost impossible for Pochettino to ignore.
"If we only talk about his performance, he's doing really well in his club in Philadelphia. Talking only about that, I think he's ready, but the rest of the players too," Pochettino said ahead of the weekend win over Peru. "He's mature enough on the field."
Sullivan produced a composed performance in what was a comfortable US victory, with a host of young stars leading the American team as they look to the next World Cup.
A special night
"It was a really special day for me, my family," said Sullivan. "It's crazy that I represented my country [with] the highest level with the men's national team, so I'm really happy to have done this. Overall, it was a really amazing night."
"There were nerves [and] I was super excited — a little bit of both," he added. "Pregame was definitely nerve-wracking, yeah."
Pochettino wouldn't be drawn on Sullivan specifically after the game, instead praising his side as a whole. Sullivan is set to add to his first cap in the coming days, with the US playing Chile, Mexico and Canada during this international break.
Mentality and record
City beat off competition from a host of the world's leading clubs to secure his signature. "A lot of attention goes on the creative things that he brings to the game," said Union interim head coach Ryan Richter. "But the thing that stands out to me the most is his mentality and his competitiveness and the way that he approaches every single day."
Freddy Adu, who signed an MLS contract at 14, tweeted his congratulations to Sullivan when the future City player broke Adu's MLS record for the youngest debut as a 14-year-old in 2024. "That's a hard record to break and the kid did it. Well done and good luck my man," read part of Adu's tweet.
City are regularly in touch with Sullivan and Union to check in on his progress and well-being, and the player himself is excited about moving to Manchester. "Man City, what makes the club is the people," said Sullivan earlier this year.
