Ghana and Crystal Palace striker, Jordan Ayew has revealed that he didn’t really want to become a professional footballer while growing up.
Speaking in an interview, Jordan said he preferred to play with his friends and only began to take football seriously when he was 10 years old.
According to him, despite coming from a family association with generations of footballers, his parents never forced him to play football.
“My parents always told us we should do whatever makes us happy, and they will be behind us,” Ayew told Crystal Palace's official club website.
“They will tell us the truth, be honest with us and make sure we grow well. They just wanted us to be happy.”
He added: “I was playing football but I didn’t really want to play competitively in my youth. I was always playing with my friends from our area and against other areas, and that was fine by me. I just wanted to be with my friends after school, I didn’t want to go to practice. Just to live a normal life.”
“Then I got to a certain age when I was 10 where I joined an Under-12s team in my area, and I think that’s where the real love for the game started for me.”
Jordan Ayew featured in Black Stars' matchday five games against Madagascar in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a game that ended goalless.