I never knew I would be famous – Stephen Appiah

Ex-Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah, has intimated he never knew he would become a famous person in the world.

The former Juventus man was speaking in an interview with Gary Al-Smith for Betway as he narrated his story on how he became a footballer.

“I never knew I would become this famous and even a footballer when I was young.” My Dad was a fisherman so we were living with my mom and things were hard.”

“There was this guy called Daniel who met me on the roadside and suggested we should leave school that day as he promised to buy me Beans and Plantain.

When I heard beans and plantain I just went with him because as a teenager it was very difficult. At times I went to school with no money to buy food. We went to Salvation Army Park where Daniel bought me my beans and plantain.”

“After I finished eating we saw these guys playing football. Daniel knew that I was good player from school and he then gave me the go-ahead to join the people on the park to play the game.”

“During the game, there was a man standing close by observing the game.” “The man called me and told me he wanted to me join his colts team.”

“I then told him he has to tell me mum because my mum was tough at the time” The man went to our home to talk to my mum.”



I took advantage and said I will go play football than go to school and receive all those lashes.

With respect to education, Appiah, however, advised young ones aspiring to play football not abandon education like he did because the dynamics of the game are not what used to exist in his time.

“I am not saying that kids of today should not go to school. I advise young footballers to not let football take them away from their books because we are getting to a point where without education you cannot play football.”

Appiah was the first captain to qualify to World Cup in 2006 in Germany.

The former Hearts of Oak man is currently the Technical Co-ordinator of Ghanaian senior national team the Black Stars