It’s good news that Freddy Adu, the 17-year old midfielder/forward for D.C. United in Major League Soccer is going to Europe to train with—of all clubs—Manchester United of the English Premiership. In a week or two, he could well be on the practice field with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, all World Cup players. He should learn a lot from them.

But before we get too excited about the talented young man getting an opportunity to develop as a player in one of the best and most famous clubs in the world, we should note that he is going for only two weeks, starting November 18. And according to the spokesman for D. C. United, the two weeks are not a trial, but “training”.

When Adu signed with MLS at the age of fourteen, he made it clear that his ambition was to play in Europe. In fact, he had earlier been offered a contract by Inter Milan, but his mother thought him too young to make such a move. But with some interest in his talents coming from Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid, it’s unlikely that MLS will stop him from eventually going overseas.

He can’t sign with anyone yet, because the rules about transferring under-18 players are strict. And because he doesn’t have a big international reputation, he might not be able to get a work permit to play in the United Kingdom. So what then is the purpose of going to Manchester United for two weeks?

First, Freddy will find out what it is like to compete with world-class players. He gets knocked off the ball in MLS, so he will have to toughen up, physically and emotionally. Since he has complained about the amount of playing time he gets in MLS, he may have to absorb a dose of humility and realize that he is not ready to challenge defenders of the caliber of Rio Ferdinand, and midfield players like Paul Scholes.

Second, Manchester United (and their contacts at other clubs) will get a look at him, and be able to assess whether he has the potential that people—the hype, if you like—say he has. Their opinion will cross the Atlantic to MLS, that’s for sure. Young Freddy is going to have a challenging two weeks, and the U.S may gain a more mature and better player when he returns.