Emmanuel Frimpong, an ex-England youth international, has revealed why he opted to represent Ghana at the senior level instead of the Three Lions of England.
Frimpong, 29, and now retired from the sport, starred for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger and became one of the hottest headlines in England following his decision to ditch the Three Lions for the Black Stars.
The Kumasi-born was projected for greatness after gatecrashing the Gunners’ first-team squad following his impressing showings through the academy setup.
Moments after his blistering form for England, the midfielder became a subject of international interest as West African powerhouse – Ghana tempted him away from England and successfully did so, causing him to move away from the path of Danny Welbeck who also has Ghanaian background.
The midfielder has finally revealed his reasons for making the choice he made.
“I follow my passion. I don’t follow the money too much. Obviously, playing for England, you get more money and more exposure but for me, as I said, I have always had a dream. I remember when I was young, I used to watch Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah when I was very young. So, I have always had a passion for playing for Ghana. And, you know sometimes in life people make decisions that you from the outside you might not understand but for me, its one of the best feelings. Playing in Kumasi, playing for my family, and putting the Ghana shirt on are some of the best feelings that I’ve ever had in my career. Maybe, if I had played for England, who knows maybe things would have turned for the better but then again you know you always have to follow what you want to do,” he told Karl Tuffour on the Sunday Night Live show on GTV Sports+ as reported by Ghanasportsonline.com.
Unfortunately, Frimpong was capped just once by Ghana as his career was blighted and halted by persistent injury situations. His only appearance for the Black Stars came on 24 March 2013 during a 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Sudan at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
