Why I chose Germany over Ghana - Gerald Asamoah

Ghana-born ex-Germany international Gerald Asamoah has revealed he chose to represent the European country to 'make a difference'.

The 37-year-old became the first African-born black player to debut for Die Mannschaft in 2001.

The Schalke 04 legend says snubbed his native Ghana to break the jinx of white dominance in the German national team.

“The idea of making a difference and showing that you can play for Germany no matter where you come from motivated my decision,” he told Fifa.com.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to follow that path, because I knew it would be difficult. I was simply following my gut instinct because I felt so at home in this country.

“The important thing for me was that the people around me always accepted me for who I am. And when you see all the guys who play for Germany today and the range of different backgrounds they have, it shows that perhaps I did actually play a part in that – and that makes me very proud.”

He added: “In my case, I was lucky enough to be the first black African-born footballer to play for Germany, and although I also encountered a lot of negativity, I stood up to it. I was always a role model.

“Football really helped me when I arrived in Germany from Ghana at the age of 12 because it meant I had contact with people from the start.”

Asamoah earned 43 caps with six goals for the European giants.

The retired German international was born in the Ghanaian town of Mampong.

He moved to Germany at a tender age of 12 and eventually represented the European cou