List of professional Ghanaian football players in England
Since the 1950s, the Ghanaian National Football team has been presenting Ghana in many international football tournaments across the world. These professionals have played in regional tournaments (CAF), the FIFA World Cup, and qualified for four Olympic Games Football Tournaments. Apart from participating in international matches, Ghanaian football players have contributed significantly to the English Premier League.
Source: UGC
In 1995, Tony Yeboah joined Leeds United from Eintracht Frankfurt. The move saw him become the first-ever Ghanaian international to play in England. From then, many more talented players followed suit, including Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, and Kevin-Prince Boateng, among others.
Ghanaian football players who play professional football in England
Most Ghanaian football players begin their careers in local clubs in Ghana. However, their talents and the popularity of the English Premier League has inspired many to sign for professional clubs in England. Here is a list of 10 professional Ghanaian football players playing in England in 2020.
1. Christian Atsu Twasam – Newcastle United
Source: Getty Images
Christian Atsu is one of the many Ghanaian football players in abroad. Born on 10 January 1992, he first began his professional career with FC Porto before going to Rio Ave on loan. His first international match for Ghana was on 1 June 2012 against Lesotho where he scored a goal on his debut.
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Atsu joined Newcastle United on 31 August 2016. His debut came on 13 September 2016 against Queens Park Rangers and was part of a team that helped the club return to the Premier League the same year. In 2017, he signed a four-year deal to keep him at Newcastle United until 2021.
2. Jeffrey Schlupp – Crystal Palace
Source: UGC
Jeffrey Schlupp was born on 23 December 1992 in Hamburg, Germany. Although he is a German by birth, his parents are Ghanaians, thus qualifying him to play for the Ghanaian Football Team. He is one of the many famous Ghanaian football players who have played for several teams in England.
Schlupp first came from the Leicester City youth academy before moving to Brentford on loan. His first call up for Ghana was on 7 November 2011. On 13 January 2017, he joined Crystal Palace and made his debut against West Ham United. In the 2019/2020 season, he made 17 appearances for the club and scored three goals.
3. Jordan Pierre Ayew – Crystal Palace
Source: UGC
Jordan Ayew was born on 11 September 1991. His club career began in France when he joined Marseille as a trainee in 2006. He made his international debut for Ghana on 5 September 2010 against Swaziland.
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In 2018, he joined Crystal Palace on loan from Swansea City to become one of the few Ghanaian players in the English Premier League. He later made his move to the club permanent after signing a three-year deal. Throughout the 2019/2020 season, he made 37 appearances for Crystal Palace and scored nine goals.
4. Daniel Amartey – Leicester City
Source: UGC
Daniel Amartey was born on 21 December 1994. As one of the many Ghanaian players in England, he started his club career in Ghana when he played for International Allies. At the age of 16, he went to Sweden to play for Djurgårdens IF.
His international career for Ghana began in 2015. Amartey signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Leicester City on 22 January 2016. He is one of the few Ghanaians to have won the English Premier League title.
5. Andrew Kyere Yiadom – Reading FC
Source: Getty Images
Andy Yiadom is a professional footballer born on 2 December 1991. Although he was born in Holloway, Greater London, he qualifies to play for the Ghanaian National Team through his birth parents. His first call up to play for Ghana was in November 2016 and made his debut in 2017 during the Africa Cup of Nations against Egypt.
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Andy Yiadom has played for several clubs in England. On 1 July 2018, he signed for Reading on a four-year contract. He has so far made 69 appearances for the Royals.
6. Kwesi Appiah - AFC Wimbledon
Source: Getty Images
Kwesi Appiah is a professional footballer born on 12 August 1990. He was born in Camberwell, Greater London but is eligible to play for both England and Ghana international football teams. Appiah graduated to the Ebbsfleet United first team in August 2008 after passing through the club’s PASE youth team.
His first call up to the Ghanaian National Team was on 24 December 2014 and made his debut on 27 January 2015. He signed for AFC Wimbledon on 31 May 2017, although he had earlier played for the team on loan in the 2013/2014 season.
7. Yaw Osei-Opoku – Berwick Rangers
Source: UGC
Yaw Osei-Opoku is an attacker playing for Berwick Rangers. Born on 19 February 1998, he started playing for the local Ghanaian team Langley Zebras before joining the Reading FC academy. Throughout his career, he has signed for many professional football clubs in England, albeit in lower divisions.
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Osei-Opoku is yet to receive an international call up to play for the Ghanaian National Football team. Yaw has been playing in England since 2018. He is now part of the Berwick Rangers club.
8. Bernard Mensah – Gloucester City AFC
Source: UGC
Bernard Mensah is a professional footballer born on 29 December 1994. Although he was born in England, he is eligible to play for Ghana at an international level. However, the Gloucester City striker is yet to make his debut for either national team.
In his professional career, Mensah has played for many teams in England, including Watford, Braintree Town, and Aldershot Town, among others. In January 2020, he joined Gloucester City on an 18-month contract. He has not made an appearance for the club.
9. Ahmed Obeng – Rushall FC
Source: UGC
Ahmed Obeng was born on 16 November 1991 in Accra, Ghana. He plays as a right midfielder for non-league side Tamworth. But as from 16 July 2020, he joined Rushall FC on a free transfer.
Obeng has not made an international debut for Ghana. However, his club career credits include playing for Kidderminster, Hednesford, and Stafford Rangers, among others.
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10. Enoch Andoh – Nuneaton Borough
Source: UGC
Enoch Ebo Andoh plays as a winger for Nuneaton Borough. Born on 1 January 1993, he began his football career in Ghana playing for Hearts of Oak and later King Faisal Babes. He signed his first professional contract with FC Porto.
In November 2014, he joined Port Vale and later signed for Whitehawk in September 2017. Andoh first played for the Ghana Under-20 National team in 2011 at the African Nations Championships. He then played for Under-23 but never made it to the senior level.
Many Ghanaian football players have graced the English Premier League since the early 1990s. From Tony Yeboah to Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, many of them achieved success at the highest level of football, including winning Premier League titles. As of the 2019/2020 season, many more are playing in England, although some in lower divisions.
In a list created by Yen.com.gh, there are many Ghanaian-born footballers playing professional football abroad who could be in the current Black Stars squad. Some of these players have won trophies with their clubs and national teams and are celebrated all over the world.
The list which features great players like Jerome Boateng and Memphis Depay shows just how talented Ghana is when it comes to football. However, the fact that most of these players change their nationalities still remains a disappointment to Ghanaian football fans.
Source: YEN.com.gh
