Guppy said: “Freddy is the biggest draw in the MLS and his name was exploited. When we had a fixture the headline was Freddy Plays Tonight with no mention of DC.
“He is a household name even though soccer, as the Americans call it, is a minority sport over there. I wouldn’t like to say who’s the bigger – Freddy or Beckham.
“When he plays, people turn out to watch. And after the game all the reporters are allowed to come into the changing room to do their interviews while the players are dressing.
“They all make a beeline for Freddy the minute he steps out of the shower and he always has lots of questions to answer.”
He added: “I told Freddy about Celtic but he said that the two clubs who wanted him were Manchester United and Chelsea – and they’re two of the biggest in the world.
“I’m interested in how he gets on. He’s not the biggest but he has quick feet and he can beat any player. If he reminds me of anyone it would be Joe Cole.
“He is a fantastic talent and I know he got frustrated because the DC coach wouldn’t always play him when he should have been playing every week for them.
“But this is a massive step up for him and he would need time to adjust. I haven’t seen him for a year so I’d guess he has improved.
“You could say he’s going straight in at the top. But he seems to have taken most things in his stride during his life. I got on well with him. He’s a nice lad and he has had all this pressure from an early age.
“He passed his driving test while I was there and he went out to buy a car but it wasn’t a flash one.
“He hasn’t got my UK mobile number so he won’t be ringing me but he doesn’t need my advice anyway.”
