‘I rejected a bribe to convince Charles Taylor’ – Joe Hendricks

Ex-Asante Kotoko Captain Joseph Hendricks has revealed that some Hearts of Oak big wigs in Kumasi attempted to bribe him 19 years ago, to convince 6-times Ghana Premier League winner Charles Asampong Taylor not to leave the Phobian club.

Asampong Taylor, who joined Hearts of Oak from Great Olympics in 2000, deliberately absented himself from training to force a controversial transfer from the Rainbow club to arch-rivals Asante Kotoko in 2003.

“Charles Taylor consulted me before he came to Kotoko. Some Hearts of Oak big wigs in Kumasi drove me to Tech (KNUST) to persuade me to sign a document that I will influence Charles Taylor to remain at Hearts,” Hendrick told Kumasi based Kessben FM.

“They promised to pay me money but I knew how much Kotoko needed him so I told them it won’t be possible based on how far negotiations had reached,” the ex-AshantiGold and Medeama defender added.

After winning the Ghana Premier League in his first season at Kotoko, the 2009 African Nations Championship silver medallist secured a foreign contract with Etoile du Sahel and moved in 2004 for a fee of $250,000 but the ‘Terror’ Taylor returned to Hearts of Oak in 2006 after an unsuccessful stint at the Tunisian club.