Ex-Hearts of Oak player reveals how he reduced his age to attract agents

Former Hearts of Oak midfielder Joe Tagoe, popularly known as Bobby Short, has disclosed how he had to reduce his age to 21 years in order to attract agents after suffering an injury that almost ended his football career.

Bobby Short, who also previously played for Ghana Premier League side Ebusua Dwarfs, said this happened before he went ply his trade in Egypt.

He explained that Nii Lante Bannerman helped him secure a club in the North African country but he reduced his age to 21 and nobody detected it due to his smallish nature.

The midfielder narrated that his coaches thought he was still very young and, therefore, subjected him to rigorous training which nearly cost him his life.

“I got injured and tried to get back. Nii Lante Bannerman wanted to help me so I started training because by then I looked heavier than how I am now. I went to Egypt and changed my age to 21,” he told Dan Kwaku Yeboah

“The coach thought I was indeed 21 due to my height, so whenever we close from training, he will tell me to join the under-20 side to train.

“The way the boys were running I realized I couldn’t cheat nature and I don’t take care I will exchange my life with money so I had to come home” he added

Bobby Short, who is currently without a club, having last played for Ebusua Dwarfs revealed that, he left Cape Coast-based side because they couldn’t pay him enough.

“When I returned home, I joined Ebusua Dwarfs. Over there any time they have to pay me, they use this excuse of the club being a stepping stone for me.

“Meanwhile, I’m not a small boy I have a family and a child to feed. I don’t even know which stepping stone again they are talking about so I had to quit because the pay was like 600 or 700 cedis in 2018,” he ended.