World Cup: Gary Neville and Ian Wright praise Thomas-Asante

Former England footballers Gary Neville and Ian Wright have heaped praise on Black Stars attacker Brandon Thomas-Asante following his performance in Ghana’s 1-0 win over Panama at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Coventry City forward was introduced in the second half and made an immediate impact, outpacing a Panama defender before setting up Caleb Yirenkyi for the match-winning goal.

Reflecting on the player's early days in football, Neville recalled when Thomas-Asante was recommended to him while he was involved with a club setup.

2026 FIFA World Cup: Watch highlights of Black Stars’ 95th-minute victory against Panama

The Sky Sports pundit revealed that the Ghanaian greatly impressed him with his attacking qualities and expressed delight at seeing him perform on football's biggest stage.

“The Ghana fans were massive… Thomas-Asante, I love him. He played for Celtic, he deserves it. He went to West Brom, now he’s with Coventry and in the Premier League this year. I think he was 18 or 19, we were about to set up a trial, and I went down there. Warren Joyce was taking over the B team and he said, ‘You’ve got to sign that lad now.’

“The year we sold him, the next season he was on fire in five or six games. He was ripping teams apart, just back from pre-season. The buyout clause was only a few grand. I was happy for him because we kept him,” Neville said on The Overlap.

Wright also commended Thomas-Asante for his resilience and patience throughout his football journey, noting that his perseverance has paid off as he prepares to feature in the 2026/27 Premier League season.

“What I like is that it’s similar to Semenyo. He’s come through with his country, now back with Coventry in his journey. He’s playing in the World Cup, and he’ll return to the Premier League. It’s just brilliant. People have to hang in there,” Wright said.

Watch the video below:

Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright on Brandon Thomas- Asante 🩵#TheOverlap #PUSB #Ghana pic.twitter.com/Rf3u4VH91U

— Lewis Rickhuss (@LRickhuss) June 19, 2026

SB/MA

Watch as Ghanaians jubilate massively after Black Stars win over Panama