Albert Adomah opens up on eligibility and Black Stars career

Former Ghana international Albert Adomah has opened up about his journey to the Black Stars, revealing that his call-up came on merit after consistent performances at club level and sharing the pride of wearing the iconic number 10 jersey.

In an interview on 3Sports, the former Bristol City and Middlesbrough winger explained that he always knew he was eligible for Ghana because both his parents are Ghanaians. But he never pushed for selection. Instead, he waited for the Ghana Football Association to recognise his form.

"I was top scorer for Middlesbrough, and I was scoring goals for Bristol City and creating chances. So it's only right that they had to call me on merit," Adomah stated. "That's the reason why they called me on merit – because I was performing for my club as a winger."

Adomah admitted there were raised eyebrows when he was first named in the squad.

"There was a bit of noise: 'Why are you selecting Albert Adomah?'" But he pointed to his remarkable consistency, noting that he played more games for his club than any player in the national team at the time. "It shows you there is competition for places, but I was there on merit."

One of the proudest moments of his career came when he wore the number 10 jersey at the Africa Cup of Nations. With Andre Ayew injured, Adomah was handed the shirt famously worn by Abedi Pele. "It was amazing. As a youngster watching him play, and even his son wearing it as well", he recalled. "I just said it's just a number, and I'll take it."

He started all of Ghana's group matches but was surprisingly left on the bench for the quarter-final. Despite that disappointment, the honour of representing his country remains undimmed. "It was a proud moment; representing the national team is always a proud moment," Adomah said.