Ghana international Thomas Partey is gradually becoming a fixture in Atletico Madrid’s midfield, where he has helped the club maintain the second spot on the La Liga standings, seven points above Real Madrid.
However, the 24-year-old defensive midfielder has not always had it so easy.
He spoke with Marca about his struggles, how he had to leave his native Ghana without his family’s knowledge and how his dad sold his property to buy a boot for him.
He said he got the chance to move to Spain after an agent watched him play.
Partey explained, “There was someone better than me, a forward who scored all the goals, but he did not want to come to Europe and wanted to play for a team in Ghana.
“So my turn came and when he (agent) asked me what I wanted I said to triumph in football so as to help my family. He asked me who was my father and he went to speak to him to ask if he could take me to Spain for a trial, but never said which team.
“I went with the agent who did all my papers but I had nothing to do, I just trained, ate and slept until the day arrived when I had to travel, which I did not know when it would be or what time.
“I got into a car, they took me to the capital, they gave me my passport and said: ‘today you travel.’ My dad wasn’t at home, nobody from my family knew anything, nor that I was going that day because if they were told then it would cause a lot of problems.
“I travelled to Spain and it was six or seven months before anyone realised that I wasn’t in Ghana.”
After getting information that he was in Spain, Partey said his parents accepted the decision.
“My father always was okay with my decisions because as he did not have any help it cost him a lot and he said nothing.
“The following month they sent me money for me to buy boots. My mum was worried because she was thinking about what could happen to me. Sometimes I listened to her and others no. I always do what I think is best and for that reason I decided to travel without saying anything to anyone.”
He later found that his father sold some of his properties to help procure the boot.
“My agent told me this but my father never wanted to say anything because he knew that I would not accept it.
“He made a big effort and he sold things in order to get my papers and to buy me boots. He had helped me since I was small as without boots you could not play. He also helped a lot the team from my neighbourhood and I remember we brought food.”