Ex-Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah has urged upcoming footballers to focus on hard work rather than placing first the hunger to be rich overnight.
Appiah, who started his football in Mamprobi, a suburb of Accra with juvenile club, Mighty Victory, says it is only hard work that can drive a young player to success.
Appiah went on to represent millennium champions, Hearts of Oak in his domestic professional career.
The former Parma midfielder advises young footballers to put in hard work if they must climb high in football.
“I think most of the youth think that we just made it but some of us coming all the way from Chorkor and being where we are today, I mean we have worked hard.
“Some of us we have really worked hard to get to where we are today.
“And it’s so sad when you meet the youth today, when you are talking to them, they think about money before the work.
“But our time we were lucky there was no social media, it was very very hard.
“Today it’s very difficult when you meet the youth and you want to interact with them.” Stephen Appiah told Pure fm.
Appiah has represented Ghana at all national team levels from U-17, U-20, U-23 and the Black Stars.
After his domestic career with Hearts of Oak, the “tornado” signed for Italian club, Udinese in 1997.
He subsequently spent time at Italian sides, Parma, Brescia on loan and at giants, Juventus.
He left for the “old ladies” of Italian Soccer for Turkish powerhouse, Fenerbahce for three years before returning to Italy with Bologna and Cessena.
He last played for Serbian club, Vojvodina before calling time on his career.
The 40-year-old skippered the Black Stars of Ghana in their debut World Cup appearance in Germany 2006 and the second appearance in 2010 in South Africa.
In 2017, he was named team manager for the Black Stars, the first time serving in a technical capacity since his retirement.
