Thomas Partey a native of Krobo Odumase in the Eastern region of Ghana has indicated that he grew up from a poor family, but his father sold his stuff to see him through his football career at the developmental stages.
Partey played for Tema Youth in Ghana, before was spotted by scouts, who facilitated his move to Spain.
Thomas Partey has been a force to reckon with in midfield and this year he has emerged as one of the five African who have secured a place in the BBC African Footballer of the Year.
Partey has expressed how his father sacrificed a lot for his sake.
“I started football in a small village where my father was like a team manager to me.”
“He did a lot of sacrifices which he never told me about. It was about him selling his stuff to try and get me those new boots,” he told the BBC.
The 25-year-old Ghanaian has scored seven goals for the Black Stars in a career which just began in 2016.
He has been nominated for BBC African Footballer of the year 2018. You can vote for him here >