Thomas Partey is eternally grateful for the special bond he shares with his father.
Our new midfielder grew up in Krobo Odumase, Ghana, with his seven siblings and spent most of his early childhood kicking a ball about together at his dad's training ground.
"I remember playing with my father," Partey said. "He was a footballer and he was playing a lot. He was the captain of his team and then he took us to his training ground, so we played there.
"When I got to 10 years old, I started playing in a club that he formed in the village. We had lots of great talents and for many years we played together, and then we moved to a different city where we were playing in a youth league among ourselves. Growing up was the best moment of my life.
"When I was young, my dad helped me a lot. He gave me so much advice because he used to play and he knew what I needed to be a professional. He talked to me a lot, how to be disciplined, how to respect my coaches and everyone around me.
"Then he told me to always be training and not going out all the time, that I have to rest a lot. It's simple advice that will get you to the top."
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