5 Ghanaian Players Who Chose Euro Nations Over Ghana
Emmanuel Amankwah Nino Send an email1 hour ago0 2 minutes read
People who possess two nationalities are becoming more widespread as migration becomes more common.
Ghana has been fortunate in having a number of foreign-born footballers naturalize and play for the Black Stars.
Adam Larsen Kwarasey, Kevin-Prince Boateng, and Emmanuel Frimpong are just a few of the players born outside of Ghana who decided to play for the Black Stars.
Many more footballers of Ghanaian heritage, on the other hand, have turned down the opportunity to represent the West African country.
Below are 10 players of Ghanaian descent who chose to play for European nations:
1. MARIO BALLOTELI
Ghana attempted to get Mario Balotelli Barwuah to play for the Black Stars, but the striker repeatedly declined, stating that he preferred to play for Italy.
Balotelli’s father and mother are both Ghanaians who moved to Italy decades ago. The striker, on the other hand, was born in Palermo.
Although the 30-year-old hasn’t played for Italy since 2018, he has made 36 appearances for the country, scoring 14 goals in the process.
2. MEMPHIS DEPAY
Memphis Depay is another Ghanaian-born player who chose to play for a European team.
The winger is a member of the Netherlands’ national team.
Depay was born in the Dutch city of Moordrecht to a Ghanaian father and a Dutch mother.
His big break came with PSV Eindhoven, and he’s now at Lyon after a dream move to Manchester United.
Depay may not have played for Ghana, but he has strong ties to the West African country and returns frequently to see his family.
3. DANNY WELBECK
Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck is also of Ghanaian ancestry, although he is a member of the England national team.
Despite the fact that his career did not go as planned, he earned 42 England caps after playing for Manchester United and Arsenal.
Welbeck made his England debut in 2011 against Ghana, and was booed by a portion of the Ghanaian crowd.
4. JEROME BOATENG
Jerome Boateng has equally enjoyed a glittering career at both club and international level.
The center-back is the half-brother of Kevin-Prince Boateng, who plays for Ghana.
Jerome won the World Cup in 2010 with Germany, where he historically played against his brother Kevin-Prince.
The Boateng’s have a Ghanaian father and both represented Germany at youth level, before pledging their allegiance to Ghana and Germany, respectively.
5. GEORGINO WIJNALDUM
Georginio Wijnaldum, who was born in Ghana but now plays for the Netherlands, is also of Ghanaian descent.
When Wijnaldum’s parents divorced, he was six years old.
He has won the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool, and he has also played for Feyenoord and PSV.
Danny Welbeck Jerome Boateng Mario Balotelli Memphis Depay
