Soccer player Freddy Adu hired IMG, the agency representing golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer, to negotiate his contracts and endorsements.

Adu, 18, who had an endorsement deal with Nike Inc. when he was 13, now plays for Portuguese club S.L. Benfica after four years in Major League Soccer. IMG initially will focus on getting Adu to improve his game for the Olympics and U.S. national team before aggressively courting more sponsors, IMG Vice President Max Eisenbud said in an interview.

"Endorsements are on the backburner right now," said Eisenbud, who has represented tennis star Maria Sharapova since she was 11. "He has to perform. I can't score goals for him."

Adu appeared in two league games for Benfica this season, both as a substitute, and didn't score.

He was born in Ghana and immigrated to Potomac, Md., with his parents when he was 8 years old. Adu signed a four-year contract to play for D.C. United of MLS in 2003 as a 14-year-old and was twice named to the league's All-Star team.

While Adu needs to improve his game, IMG's task will be making sure U.S. consumers know who he is, Eisenbud said.

"The big challenge for IMG becomes; How do we make someone playing in Europe, a superstar in the U.S.? That won't be easy," Eisenbud said. "His performance on the national team will be very important."

IMG's goal is to help Adu, who trains at the company's campus in Florida, achieve his goal of playing for an English Premier League team, Eisenbud said.

"If Freddie can perform on the field at the highest levels, the U.S. will finally have its soccer superstar," Eisenbud said. "Imagine what it will mean to have a homegrown star? Imagine what that could do for Freddy?"