Liberty Professionals captain, Nathaniel Kwame Paul has revealed how a negligent football administrator shattered his chances of signing for Newcastle United’s youth team.
Kwame Paul was scouted by defunct Datus Soccer Academy while playing a community tournament at the Alive Park in Dansoman, a suburb of Accra, Ghana.
There was an opportunity for Kwame Paul to sign for the youth side of the Magpies when they attended a summer tournament in Scotland in 2010.
His performance when playing as a striker then caught the eyes of Arsenal and Chelsea but the now 25-year-old wanted to stay at the Toon.
The dream was however “killed” when the Datus Soccer Academy founder, Francis Dowetin whether deliberately or mistakenly brought his passport to Ghana – ending Newcastle United’s interest after their incessant request for the booklet never received any response from Kwame.
Paul Kwame narrated the painful story in an interview with Accra based Radio Gold.
“We had an opportunity to go to Scotland to play in a summer tournament with Datus Soccer Academy [now defunct] and I did very well in that tournament.
“We had a lot of chances from Bolton Wanderers, I had a chance to go to Newcastle United and that was the era of Shola Ameobi.
“They had a lot of pitches and the senior side was training on one of them and we were at the other side so they invited me to train.
“So we had a match we had to play at their stadium and their pitch was something else.
“The moment I stepped onto the grass I was like wow, the passing the reception you won’t feel like the ball is bouncing.
“That match I did well and Arsenal came, Chelsea came but I wanted to stay at Newcastle United.
“So they [Newcastle United] said I should bring my passport and everything and at point I was looking for the man for my passport little did I know that he had brought my passport to Ghana.
“I asked him whether I owed him because I had paid everything for my trip ad I was calling, my parents were calling and looking for him because from my house to Datus School Complex is not far.
“Just bring the passport because the people [Newcastle United] were calling me and that time the money they wanted to pay me was good.
“So when I came back I didn’t want play football again, football really left me because at that time they were willing to pay I think 1000 pounds.
“So imagine from that time in 2010 until now. They were looking for me seriously and the interest in me ended that was when he brought the passport.” Nathaniel Kwame Paul told Radio Gold.
