Hyped to the heavens for the better part of a decade, Benfica forward Freddy Adu is finally showing what all the fuss was about.

Of course, he carries with him high expectations of the potential of Americans succeeding in the best leagues of Europe. Although only 18, his soft-spoken demeanor displays a maturity well beyond his years - he recently won over the Scottish reporters in the press room after Benfica's 1-0 loss to Celtic in a UEFA Champions League match in Glasgow.

Adu's early form with Benfica has been impressive, coming off the bench in successive October weeks to score late goals that made a difference in the games. The late heroics helped his confidence, as well as his standing with new coach José Antonio Camacho (the Eagles fired the man who had originally brought Adu in from MLS, Fernando Santos, after the first week of the season).

"Every time you get a chance, you want to prove yourself," he told American Soccer Daily. "You want to be able to help the team in any way possible. For me, I've been in situations where when I've been able to score a goal when we needed a goal, and that has helped me a lot."

Adu's determination to succeed on the European stage has been a bonus in getting acclimated to his new surroundings.

"Every time you're on the field, you have to prove you belong, prove you can make a difference," he stated.

"I'm still getting used to European football. It was a big step, but my teammates and coaches have helped me settle in pretty well. I have goals for myself, and at 18, I wanted to move to Europe. I feel it's the right place for me and I am enjoying it very much."

While the styles of play in MLS and the Portuguese league are quite different, Freddy feels that his time in America was well spent and prepared him for his European adventure. "MLS helped me out a lot," he explained. "It helped me deal with the physical challenges of Europe, especially for a smaller player like myself."

Asked for a comparison of the two leagues, the former DC United star summed it up thusly: "MLS is definitely a more physical league, while in Portugal it's more of a finesse league, but a finesse league with some bite to it."

While his move from Real Salt Lake to Benfica for $2.5 million in the summer helped fulfill his goal of playing in Europe, it hasn't stopped the debate on what is the best position for Freddy Adu. Is he a forward? Is he a winger? His early appearances for the Portuguese side have seen him mostly down the right flank, but his definitive position may yet be elsewhere on the field.

"I feel comfortable in that second forward role, sort of a freelance role," he offered. "I'm able to move around a lot, and get more time on the ball. I feel I'm able to help the team more."

Looking towards helping Bob Bradley's squad qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Adu gushed about the level of talent that the United States is producing today.

"Look at all our young talent overseas now, they are getting respect," he asserted. "Players like Jozy (Altidore), (Danny) Szetela, Michael Bradley - it has gotten to a point where our players are making a difference in Europe. I think it's great just to be a part of that."

The mention of his teammates from the this summer's FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Canada reminded Adu about the disappointment the 'Nats suffered in that tournament, losing to Austria in the quarterfinals. "I felt we could have went further, especially after being a goal up," he rued. "We didn't think that Austria could come through and score two on us, but some days it just doesn't go your way."

In addition to trying to help Benfica to the top of the Portuguese league, the man who grew up in Northern Virginia after moving to the US from Ghana at the age of eight, is looking forward to being part of the solution at the 2010 World Cup. Although he has been touted as a prodigy since the tender age of 11, when Inter Milan attempted to sign him, Adu does not believe his place is guaranteed in the US National Team set-up.

"I'll work hard, and hopefully I will be there," he declared. "I'm just trying to be humble and make a difference. You have a lot of people that know me who think I've arrived, but in my opinion, you've never arrived."