Joining a European club, particularly in the Premier League, is synonymous with greatness, offering a chance to compete among the soccer elite and face some of the best players in the world. Such was nearly the case for Matt Freese, who in 2017 received a proposal to join one of the league's giants, Manchester United.

Nevertheless, life had different plans for Matt Freese, who ultimately rejected the offer for an incredible reason. The goalkeeper recently revealed in an interview the true story behind his decision to turn down Manchester United. His explanation sheds light on a career-defining choice that surprised many in the football world.

The real reason why Matt Freese turned down Manchester United

Matt Freese has become one of the rising stars of the USMNT,standing out as a key figure in goal during the Gold Cup and helping fuel the team's push to the final. His performances have made his name resonate among fans of the Stars and Stripes. Now, Freese has revealed an important anecdote about how close he once came to landing in the Premier League.

In an interview with Roger Bennett, founder and CEO of the Men in Blazers Media Network, >Bennett opened up about the near experience of Matt Freese joining Manchester United as a teenager back in 2017.

According to Bennett,However, he chose to continue Freese was offered an apprentice contract with Manchester United that year. his studies at Harvard, pursuing economics like several members of his family, instead of beginning a career in England.

Now the current goalkeeper of New York City FC, Freese admitted some regret about not joining Manchester United, revealing he followed his family's advice at the time. "It was largely a family decision. I think many parents would agree, you have to, at some point, focus on your studies, and they wanted me to try it. I went for 12 months and then decided I wanted to start my professional career," Freese explained.

Nevertheless, the goalkeeper admitted it was far from an easy decision. "There were some tough conversations between me and my parents about this one. There was a clear path that I wanted to go on, but I had to respect what they wanted. They sacrificed so much for me, so I had to repay that and honor what they wanted," Freese reflected.

Matt Freese denies James Rodriguez from the spot! 😱 pic.twitter.com/3023k9BXNh

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 1, 2025

Matt Freese could follow in the footsteps of Tim Howard, the only USMNT goalkeeper to wear the Manchester United shirt between 2003 and 2007. While he missed out on joining the Red Devils as a teenager, Freese has built a solid career in MLS, establishing himself as a key figure for New York City FC.

Matt Freese continues his career with the New York City FC

New York City FC fans have reason to celebrate as goalkeeper Matt Freese confirmed he will remain with the club long-term. Speaking on the live Men in Blazers show, Freese revealed that he has signed a contract extension keeping him with the City side until 2030.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS FROM NYC 🚨 pic.twitter.com/yqxzNbAvM1

— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) September 19, 2025

"I really believe in what we're building here. Over the past few weeks, you can already see so much growth, and I'm really excited to keep pushing that forward," Freese said. "This is the perfect place for me to continue developing on the field and in the locker room, all while representing such an amazing city."