‘I had no interest to play football while growing up’ – Jordan Ayew

In a recent interview, Ghanaian and Crystal Palace striker, Jordan Ayew, opened up about his early reluctance to pursue a professional football career.

According to Ayew, during his childhood, he simply enjoyed playing football with his friends and had no strong aspirations to become a professional player. It wasn’t until he turned 10 years old that he began taking football more seriously.

Despite coming from a family with a rich football background, Ayew emphasized that his parents never pressured him into pursuing the sport. Instead, they encouraged him and his siblings to follow their own passions and find happiness in whatever they chose to do.

“My parents always told us we should do whatever makes us happy, and they will be behind us,” Ayew told Crystal Palace’s official club website.

“They will tell us the truth, be honest with us and make sure we grow well. They just wanted us to be happy.”

Ayew further explained that during his youth, he preferred playing football casually with his friends in the neighborhood rather than engaging in competitive matches or attending formal training sessions. He valued the simplicity of spending time with his peers and leading a normal life.

“I was playing football but I didn’t really want to play competitively in my youth. I was always playing with my friends from our area and against other areas, and that was fine by me. I just wanted to be with my friends after school, I didn’t want to go to practice. Just to live a normal life.”

However, everything changed for Ayew when he joined an Under-12s team in his local area. It was at this stage that his genuine passion for the game ignited, and he discovered a deep love for football.

“Then I got to a certain age when I was 10 where I joined an Under-12s team in my area, and I think that’s where the real love for the game started for me.”

In more recent times, Ayew represented the Black Stars in the fifth matchday of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Madagascar, which ended in a goalless draw.

Ayew’s journey from a reluctant young player to an accomplished professional serves as a reminder that passion can evolve and flourish over time, leading to unexpected and remarkable achievements in the world of football.