John Paintsil has disclosed that he built his first house with money provided by club officials from Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak.
The former Ghana international shared his experience of receiving financial support from the two top clubs even though he desired to play for Liberty Professionals.
Paintsil revealed that both Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko expressed interest in signing him, but his heart was set on joining Liberty Professionals.
In a meeting with former Hearts of Oak chairman, Harry Zarkour, and Kotoko chairman, Herbert Mensah, Paintsil was offered significant amounts of cash in an attempt to secure his signature.
"It was through God that I got to Israel, people kept questioning why I wanted to go there because both Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko wanted me," Paintsil explained.
Herbert Mensah took Paintsil to Osu and provided him with a substantial amount of money. Despite the financial incentive, Paintsil stood firm in his decision to play for Liberty Professionals. Paintsil also received a similar offer from Hearts of Oak's Harry Zarkour, and he maintained his commitment to his preferred club.
“They all gave me money, and I bought a plot in Tema Community 12, so it's through their money that I was able to build my first house in Community 12 because of how honest I was to them. They gave me their blessings, and after 6 months at Liberty, I got the chance to travel to Israel,” Paintsil shared on the Experience in Life show.
The ex-Hapoel Tel Aviv player expressed gratitude to the club officials for their generosity, despite ultimately rejecting their offers.
Fulham and West Ham were among the clubs Paintsil played for during his club career. He made over 80 appearances for Ghana.