I just received this from journalist Phil Mison, who recently interviewed our man Paintsil. Enjoy!
Paintsil puts football in perspective
It’s the fag end of another peripatetic season in the oversold Premiership, that hypomanic offspring of the stripey-suited money men and hustling marketeers. Although the party hadn’t entirely wound down as I journeyed over to Motspur Park ahead of the Everton game, I rather felt I should have gone home hours ago. Amidst all the screaming headlines and sweaty abuse, rumours, posturing and punditry, it was, well business as usual with the national game as United won again. Nil novi sub sole.
Harry turned up early season to find he’d inherited a team of boozers at the Lane, Joey Barton ended it not just drinking in the last chance saloon – he’s now swept up the sawdust, restocked the shelves and locked up for the night as well.
A welcome antidote to all this my chance to sit down at Fulham’s training ground with wiry Ghanaian full-back John Paintsil to reflect on the West London club’s highest ever finish in the top flight. It’s a sad indictment of domestic footballers that, after 20 years of football journalism, one increasingly finds more meaningful responses coming from those born outside these islands.
From Ghana’s Cape Coast, the Paintsil family of seven children, two boys and five girls, grew up in Berekum district in the far west of the country bordering Ivory Coast, where John’s father had been posted as a policeman. In this West African version of Gogolian provincialism, a career in professional football among England’s elite seemed a far off and improbable dream. Church with the family every Sunday kept John’s feet on the ground.
“Certainly it’s true to say I was a late developer. My father was a disciplinarian and at 17 I was still only playing schools football. When a local club sought to sign me up they were sent packing until I had completed my education,” John says without a trace of bitterness. However, in the holidays I was allowed to train with Berekum Arsenals, and they became my first professional club at 20. It was a good time to join up as we got promoted into Ghana’s premier league. I also had a loan spell with Liberty Professionals and in 2001 represented Ghana in the World U-21 Championships in Argentina, where we were runners-up.”
I asked John if he could remember how much his first ever wage in professional football came to. It’s a question I once put to George Weah at the pinnacle of his career in the palatial surroundings of AC Milan’s sylvan training camp. “Five dollars, he shot back with a huge grin, five Liberian dollars!” But with John my question evokes a flash of discomfort, indeed embarrassment. “I cannot say it here…it was not much. I never like to talk about money.”
We move on. After 18 months as a pro John stepped up to the full national squad and made the trip to the 2002 African Nations Cup in Mali. Of a sudden John was on the big stage, not just with his fellow Black Stars, but pitting his skills against some of the biggest names in world – let alone – African football.
“Yeh, it was tough in Mali for sure. My rise had been pretty rapid, but the coaches were great, always pushing me hard and giving me a lot of self belief. There was a Ghanaian at the time with an agent’s licence obtained in Israel and a hot line to the FA in Accra. He fixed me up with a move to Maccabi Tel Aviv after I’d had a brief loan spell with Widzew Lodz in Poland. I enjoyed my time in Israel. I met up with other Africans, went to church still, and never felt lonely. We played to a high level, won the title and I played in the Champions League. It was a really steep, but good, learning curve for me. Yakubu, Yossi Benayoun and Tal Ben Haim were also playing in Israel then.”
After two seasons John moved over to Hapoel. Now established in the national side the 96 World Cup campaign would provide a springboard into the Premier League. “To represent the Black Stars is my highest honour. And to be part of Ghana’s debut in the finals of a World Cup is something to cherish. Our people really love the game and live for football.” Oh, to hear such sentiments emanating from England internationals.
Alan Pardew, tipped off by Yossi Benayoun, saw Ghana humble the Czech Republic 2-0 in Cologne, a match the Ghanaian coach Dujkovic felt his side should have won 5-0, and after joining up with the Hammers for a pre-season trip to Sweden, Paintsil’s million pound move to the Premiership was sealed.
However, once Pardew was replaced by Alan Curbishley at Upton Park, John’s serene six year progression from West African backwater to the Big Time took its first setback.
“The new manager brought in Lucas Neil in my position and I was sidelined. He didn’t talk as much to me as Mr Pardew but I kept my discipline in training and still supported the team, even from a seat in the stands. It is impossible to keep everyone happy with a squad of 35 plus, who all want to play. I respected Mr Curbishley’s decision to build his own team and bring in players he thinks he can trust, but I wasn’t given a chance to play.”
Salvation arrived last summer when Fulham boss Roy Hodgson decided to take in a Ghanaian friendly at Craven Cottage against Mexico. Having survived the drop by the skin of their teeth, Hodgson was on the look-out for a new right-back.
“I was back in Ghana when West Ham called to say another club were showing interest in me. They didn’t say who, but told me to expect a call. When Mr. Hodgson rang me he said with Fulham I would be getting regular first-team action. That was all I needed to hear.”
Seen by the fans as a makeweight in the £5 million plus deal that also brought Bobby Zamora across town to the banks of the Thames, Paintsil has proved one of the bargains of the season in Fulham’s re-fashioned and of a sudden formidable defence. The slight, unassuming and ever respectful off-field Christian has proved himself a steely gladiator of the back line on it, winning over the fans with his consistency and obvious passion for the club.
“Everything I do on the pitch is for the fans. They deserve the success we’ve had this year. If you ask about career highlights, it has to be the here and now. Right in the last week of the season, to see Fulham FC sitting in 7th place. That is fantastic.”
But John’s season is far from over, with two important World Cup qualifiers coming along in June. And Ghana’s trip to Bamako on June 6th is a key encounter.
“Yes, back to Mali again, where my international career took off. We must go there to get a result. I’ve been checking their players in the Spanish and French leagues via TV. They have stars, but then so do we. We must bring Ghana to the World Cup again next summer in South Africa. I know when we represent the Black Stars we carry a burden, the hopes of the nation on our shoulders. We must always do our best for the people, we must always play from the heart for our country.”
Memo to all academy directors across the UK sitting at their cathedrals to sporting excellence. Is it at all possible to get some of these core values back inside the heads of today’s young princes? Dead Souls already? – heads turned in a culture of ‘too much too young,’ excess and irresponsibility?
Phil Mison, London May 2009
Phil Mison has been a radio and TV football journalist and producer since 1988. He has a special interest in Africa soccer.
