When the talented Abdul Fatawu Issaku was named Best Player of the recently held African U20 tournament that was staged in Mauritania, I knew that was the beginning of greatness for the young midfielder from the Northern region plying his trade with Steadfast FC in the Division One.
It wasn’t surprising when news caught fire that some big European clubs were on his trials notably, Bayer Leverkusen, Germany.
I was swept with enormous joy because for the lad to be tracked by the German-based club meant that there was something valuable, they saw in him ready to harness and develop him into one of Ghana’s biggest exports.
Little did we know that Liverpool FC, England was also in the mix, apparently, they had scheduled with the midfielder’s advisors on the blind side of Leverkusen, who were prepared to finalize the deal but for some immature handlings, they pulled out of the deal citing mistrust on the part of the player’s advisors disappointment.
In the Ghanaian media space, others opined that it was a blessing in disguise since the young lad was heading towards England but I always maintained my stance that, yes, England is all glamourous and a welcoming privilege for anyone talk of Liverpool with all the history and accolades backing them in the domestic and European font but we all know that playing in the league is not for the faint-hearted because, it had made a joke of players (Kevin De Bryune, Mohammed Salah, Serge Gnabry, Memphis Depay, Romelu Lukaku), who had to cut careers elsewhere before coming to prove their mettle years down the line.
Clearly, the midfielder’s representatives were looking more at the financial gains they would amass when they move materializes than the interest of their prize asset, who would always rake in the gold in the coming years when he is churning out good performances on a regular occasion.
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The more reason why, when I heard the deal for him to join Liverpool was off, I felt pained to the bone was that German football was blessed with many talents; literally your talent hub. A league that has been a breeding or step-up grounds for producing multiple talents who have gone on to rub shoulders with the very best on the world stage.
Bayer Leverkusen would have provided the right nurturing, guidance, tutoring, training, counseling, enabling an environment for him to grow to become a global superstar.
Well, looking at the brighter side of life, all is not dark and gloom, these days, I am told Fatau Issaku has earned a move to Sporting CP, a team that has produced many great talents, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Ricardo Quaresma, Luis Nani, hopefully, Fatawu will embrace this opportunity and won’t remind us of a certain Saddick Adams or Ransdord Osei, who we all envisage would become household names.
