Yartey has been mad for 10 years - Friend reveals

A close friend of Emmanuel 'Dr Panie' Yartey has revealed that he and other friends advised the former Ghana U17 and Accra Hearts of Oak player to stay away from drugs.

Earlier this week it was reported that the highly talented player Emmanuel Yartey has shockingly gone mad; roaming the streets of Accra.

A strange mental illness looks to have afflicted the superstar who was blessed with immense dribbling skills during his playing days which has led to him roaming the streets.

Yartey has been left to his own fate after his family and other football persons have abandoned him various reports say.

In a Ghana crusader's interview with his childhood friend, he unveiled that the former Hearts and Kotoko has been afflicted with the illness for over ten years now but his condition has now deteriorated.

“Marijuana smoking was something he was doing when he was playing for Hearts of Oak, but for him, he saw nothing wrong with it, he has been suffering from mental illness for the past seven years,” the source revealed.

“He was born in Darkuman and he is a childhood friend when he started smoking marijuana, he was advised to stop because it won’t be good for his health. But he didn’t listen. Now look at his current state very bad,” the source added.

Early signs of his mental illness were spotted in his neighbourhood in Darkuman, a suburb of Accra, but the lack of financial support dissuaded friends who were willing to help.