Interview

Partey - Why I kept my big move a secret

Thomas Partey always wanted to play football in Europe - so when the opportunity came along, he made sure nothing got in his way.

The then-18-year-old was playing for Tama Youth, a second-division Ghanaian side, when he was offered a trial by Atletico Madrid. 

So to make sure nothing could jeopardise his dream move, he kept it secret from all of his friends and family, with the exception of his father. 

"My dad knew about it but then I told him not to tell anyone," Partey said. "There was a saying that when everybody knows about your move, they can disturb you. That's mostly in Ghana because I was playing with my friends and you never know what someone is thinking, so we just had to keep it secret until everyone saw it.

 

"I wanted to play outside Ghana and I was focused on playing with the great people we saw on TV, because we used to watch La Liga, the Premier League, so many leagues. All my inspirations played in that league.

 

"Moving to Spain taught me a lot and I've learned a lot from it, how to take decisions on my own, how to be perfect, how to try to go through hell. But then you know that after the hell, you have important things ahead that you can enjoy. 

"I'll always take those challenges and I know that with all these challenges, you'll be able to make it."

See Full List

Fixtures & Results

Premier League
Ticket Info