Lee Addy, the ex-Black Stars defender, has expressed his gratitude towards Abedi Pele, the legendary Ghanaian footballer, for his mentorship and for preventing him from a premature move to Europe during the early stages of his career.
Lee Addy credits Abedi Pele for providing invaluable guidance that helped shape his professional journey in football.
The former Nania man narrated that Abedi, who was his agent, turned down several offers from French clubs after successful trials with Olympique Marseille and Chateauroux.
In an interview with Ernest Brew Smith TV, he said that despite impressing on his trials, Abedi refused to accept proposals from the clubs.
"I went for trials at Marseille and Chateauroux. He (Abedi) was impressed because he had positive feedback. But he didn't accept any offer."
Addy said he later found out that the Nania FC bankroller rated him highly and was not ready to accept a low offer.
"I learnt the main reason he didn't sell me was that he was offered a lower amount, which he felt was unfair because he rated us so highly. It wasn't the case of him not wanting to sell us; he wasn't getting the offer he wanted for us."
The former Berekum Chelsea defender said he never grasped why Abedi kept rejecting offers until he began playing abroad.
"At the time, we (he and a colleague) thought he didn't have our interests at heart, but when we started our professional careers, that's when we got to know he was doing the right thing. But when you are on the outside, you will think he is a bad person, but when you take the next step, you will realize he was rather helping us to get everything in football."
He further hailed Abedi Pele, stating that the African football great prepared him for every situation in football.
"He taught me many things from the grassroots to the top level. He prepared me for every situation, insults, playing through injuries, and many other things. He taught me that 'A champion has to know how to play through pain.' Back then we didn't know until we traveled."
TWI NEWS
Lee Addy, 38, has retired from football, bringing an end to his fairly successful career playing for the Black Stars and some notable clubs in Europe.
He spent a chunk of his career in Serbia and Croatia where he played for clubs like Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Zagreb, Cukaricki, and Lokomotiva Zagreb.
In his international career, he made 30 appearances for the Black Stars, including the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Watch Lee Addy's interview below
EE/EK
