Soccer News of Monday, 6 July 2015
Source: 90 Minutes
90 Minutes: Welcome back to 90 Minutes Newspaper interview session and if I may ask, how is pre-season so far? Inkoom: Thanks guys for inviting me to one of the renowned interview platforms in the world. Like they say, you have the platform and it is you guys whom people are reading from (laughing out loud). My summer holidays were fantastic! You know my family means the world to me and spending quality time with them is priceless. Pre-season is also going well and I am happy with my new environment, club and team-mates.
You`ve returned to European football and to be precise, in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with club Boavista Futebol Clube after a short stint with DC United in the Major League Soccer… Boavista has a rich history in Portuguese club football and I am honoured to have signed for `As Panteras `. I am ready for my new challenge and I know I will come on top too because you also have to remember that, the price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. There is no substitute for hard work!
Would you want to touch on the controversies that arose with your stint with DC United in the MLS over a purported transfer to Houston Dynamo and the alleged rent payments and property damage from Curtis Paul Willette, of Front Royal? There were no issues because these stories that came up were not accurate (with a broad smile). I never signed for Houston Dynamo but as usual, there were `crazy` stories making rounds in Ghana that, I had signed for Houston Dynamo and they later terminated the contract and kicked me out from the team. People went as far as claiming I was club-less and that, I had come to Ghana to re-launch my career. However, I wasn’t stunned because success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.
Do you think you have gained maturity in dealing with these challenges? Yes, for sure. I’ve learnt from my mistakes and I feel more mature now. I’m still young and I know I have a lot to learn. These last few months have made me grow as a man.
But your critics slay you for being active on social media…. That’s unfortunate but I am cool! Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter seem to be the new favourite medium for public figures like myself to directly announce information to my fans. It was social media that I used to dispel the Houston Dynamo rumours and so have I used social media on numerous times to set records straight after wrong facts about me where headliners in mischievous news outlets. Social media is connecting the world in ways we may never have thought possible in the past and if I may ask, is it a surprise that public figures are becoming more and more active on social networks? Even political and religious activists have been turning to social sites, recognizing that these mediums can be highly valuable in promoting their ideals.
Is there anything about your career you would change if you could? Nothing at all! I regret none of the steps I’ve taken, including going to FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. My career as a professional footballer was the realisation of a lifelong dream from my days at Windy Professionals Football Academy to play in the top leagues in professional football. When I look back on my career, I think I’ve done the right things and I’m happy. You learn a huge amount from adversity. Football is all about consistency. You can get to the summit very quickly and drop back down again just as quickly. But I need to keep progressing and perform well in every game. I can’t predict the future, but I’ll do everything to continue working hard. My goal is to be the best player in the world. I’m very strong mentally. I have a lot of character. I never give in; I always have the drive to keep going and to work hard to achieve my goals.
What’s the goal for Boavista F.C. this season? Everything is possible because we have to believe we can make it to the top! The club is huge in Portugal and is over 100 years old with a magnificent history. I love the new project club president and coach are currently working on for the upcoming season and I am super excited to be part of it. We know we’ll have to keep working very hard and hit peak form at the right time. But we have the potential and if we deliver when it matters we have a good chance of doing something great.
What were the key moments in the development of the player you have become today? Each change of club has been important. The fact that I got to discover high-level football, play and share a dressing room with great players was a turning point. That gave me the desire to be one of the greats. I’ve got to keep performing week in, week out for Boavista; if I can do that then I think I’ve got a pretty good chance of becoming better. It all starts at Boavista and goes from there.
Is there a side to your personality that people do not know about? The people who know me know I’m someone who likes to laugh, make jokes and get the most out of life. We have a great life and a wonderful job. We’re able to walk, and eat and drink to our heart’s content, which isn’t the case for everyone. We can’t complain. I’m just happy and content with everything that happens to me.
**** Attached are pictures from his pre-season with Boavista