Academies rejected me and said I wasn’t good enough – Antoine Semenyo

Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has revealed that he was rejected by many academies that told him he was not good enough to be admitted to their academies.

The 24-year-old got his breakthrough in football at an unlikely SGS College, where he was signed by Bristol City.

The Black Stars midfielder has now opened up about his difficult football career.

"I went to quite a few clubs and was told the same thing that I wasn't good enough. It's tough as a kid hearing that," Semenyo told Sky Sports having been playing Sunday League for local side Kingfisher amid unsuccessful trials with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Millwall.

"Palace hit me hard the most because I was there for so long. My trial got extended and I thought I was going to be signed - and it didn't happen.

"I remember getting into the car crying and saying to my dad, 'Why does this keep happening?'. I stopped playing football for a year after that. I didn't play any sports; I put on a lot of weight. I didn't think I'd be here, but God works in mysterious ways."