I'd have been working in the Cacao plantations - Godfred Donsah relives journey to stardom

The 21-year-old opened up on the unsavoury experiences he's had to go through to fulfil his dreams of becoming a professional footballer Bologna midfielder Godfred Donsah has relived his journey to becoming a professional footballer.

The Accra native, who started his career with DC United Agogo in Ghana before being discovered by Italian outfit Palermo, revealed he came from a family in 'absolute poverty'.

But the sacrifices of his father, who migrated to Italy for greener pastures through the deserts, finally paid dividends. RELATED

“If I weren’t a football player, I’d be working in the cacao plantations, just like my parents did,” Donsah told Che Tempo Che Fa.

“I want to thank God, who gave me the opportunity to be here. I grew up in Ghana in absolute poverty, at least until the age of 15, when I tried to make a career for myself as a football player.

“It was my father who decided he would come to Italy to work and send money home and to do it he crossed the desert. During the journey, someone died," he continued.

“I went to Como and Verona, where thanks to Andrea Mandorlini I made my debut for the senior squad.

“I managed to see my father again eight years later. We didn’t sleep that night. I told him: ‘You got older.’ He replied that I was already grown up.”