Former Ghana defender, John Painstil has opened up on why he snubbed Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak to make a move to fellow Premier League side Liberty Professionals.
Painstil in an interview with Graphic Sports, revealed that the two clubs were eager to sign him but he opted to Liberty due to their unique playing style.
According to the former Fulham right-back, monetary advances were made to him by Herbert Mensah and Harry Zakour of Kotoko and Hearts respectively but Liberty’s project lured him more.
“During my formative period, both Harry Zakkour of Hearts of Oak and Herbert Mensah of Kumasi Asante Kotoko were keen to sign me. They gave me money to entice me to play for them. I collected the money but told them that I was not interested in playing for either of them,” Paintsil who started his football career with Berekum Arsenal told Daily Graphic.
“In those days, Herbert Mensah and Harry Zakkour enticed me with money to play for their respective teams but I was honest with them and told them that I was not interested.
“It was later that the late Alhaji Sly Tetteh came for me and I agreed. However, after playing for only six months, I had an offer to play in Israel which I accepted,” Paintsil, who retired from active football in 2013, explained.
The former Westham United player reminisced: “I was not interested in any monetary gain in domestic football. I just wanted to play for fun devoid of tension. In those days, the display of scientific football by Liberty Professionals attracted me so much.”
“That explains why I accepted to play for Alhaji Sly Tetteh. As I said earlier, their style of play suited me so much and when I signed for the club, the management style of the late Sly Tetteh also motivated me to stay with them but the offer from Israel ended my romance with Liberty Professionals prematurely.
“My reason for playing for Liberty was basically due to their sense of professionalism on and off the field,” he stressed.
Paintsil was a member of the Black Stars squad that qualified Ghana to its first-ever FIFA World Cup quarter-final in 2010 in South Africa.
