Ghana international midfielder Andre Ayew has spoken to the the official website of his French club Olympique Marseille about the team, the Black Stars and the recent issues.
OM- Andre how did you find yesterdays match?
AA- It was a good game, we had a victory infront of our fans and it is nice to restart winning at home
OM- How do you rate your season biginning?
AA- Pretty good. I wasnt expecting this but I worked alot for this. I still need to keep working to get better.
OM- Andre, you have taken importance in the team this year, is your progress due to your loan?
AA- Its true the loan helped me progress as it gave me confidence. With the national team or with my club the key to succes is work. I will continue like this and hope for good results to continue for OM
OM- Do you think you will stay at OM for many years?
AA- Yes I think so but you never know in football.I did my formation here, I feel good here but we never know what can happen.
OM- How does it feel playing by your brother?
AA- Im proud of this as we are representing our formation center in OM and our country Ghana. This is something that doesnt often happen. It makes us happy and we hope to do great things at OM.
OM-Which position are you most comfortable with?
AA- In midfield because I like touching the ball alot. On the wing it is harder. In the midfield I am able to push forward and win the ball back.
OM- We saw you with Dider Drogba at the end of the match, what did you have to say to each other?
AA- Didier is someone who represents alot for me and for Africa. He is a player with a lot of experience who has done alot for Chelsea and his country. I try to learn from big players like him.
OM-Who is our biggest Rival for the title this season?
AA- There are a few teams like Lille, Lyon, and Paris who can challenge for the team and it is down to us to make the title stay in OM.
OM-Against who would you like to play in the Champions League knockout round?
AA- Honestly we have reached a stage where everyone is good and we will fall against a first team place. We would prefer playing any team except for maybe Barcelona who are realy strong. It is hard to compare ourselves to Barcelona. Clubs like Milan are stronger than us but not as much as Barcelona.
DD- When was your turning point of your progression, during the world cup or before?
AA- Before, I think it was during the CAN where we lost in the final. It was then that the Ghana coach and the Arles coach gave me responsability which enabled me to do well during the world cup?
OM- Andre who is your idol?
AA- Eto'o and my dad
OM- In which team would you like to play
AA- I like England alot. English and Italian are my favorite leagues. Manchester Utd and AC Milan are clubs that make me dream, they are prestigious and I will need to put in a lot of work to be able to hope of playing there.
OM- What does a coach like Didier Deschamps bring to you?
AA- He brings me confidence and calmness and above all he teaches me alot as he is a coach who has known everything in football thus I can improve alot with him.
OM- Did you congratulate Brandao for his goal as he is in a tough period with OM at the moment?
AA- Yes he is someone with whom I have a good relationship. Hes had tough times but he is trying his best. I know that he can bring alot to OM like last year. He has been here, and he will still be here to bring what he has for OM.
OM- How do you explain the offensive difficulties of OM despite the very good players in offensive roles?
AA- We have only failed to score in 2 games, and people started saying we are not finishing our chances, but I think that in the past few games we have been able to score quite a few goals despite not winning. We are trying to work on our team play and it is going much better than a month ago.
OM- Who is your choice to win the Ballon D'or 2010?
AA- Iniesta, he is an allround player who has done alot at club level and for his country, like the others (Xavi and Messi) but especialy as he scored in the World Cup Final and in the return leg at Chelsea.
OM- Did your dad teach you some tricks?
AA- No, he has given me alot of advice but he doesnt teach me how to play football. He is someone that I listen to alot.
OM- Many people beleive your brother is better than you when you had his age, what do you think of this?
AA- Yes maybe.. Its true that he is very talented, but we dont play at the same position. He is very good for his age, I hope he will have a great career.
OM- Which music do you listen to before games?
AA- I listen to African music. It is a habit I have kept since the reserve squad. Apart from that I listen to RnB and a bit of Rap.
OM- You seem to keep your head on your shoulders despite your rapid move into the limelight at a young age. Is this due to your entourage (people around you)?
AA- I think it has alot to do with my entourage. The coach, assistant coach, these are people who speak to me alot especialy since I am more mediatised. They help me keep my head on my shoulders and encourage me to work harder.
OM- Dont you want to stay at OM to be able to discover the new stadium?
AA- Yes I would definitely love to see this. It would be a a dream come true to see a closed Velodrome and feeling the hearing the supporters.
OM- Do you think we will win at Auxerre and move back up the rankings?
AA- Yes I think we can win there even though it will be very difficult, but we have the team and the quality to win. Auxerre is a team that can surprise anyone in their home. We will need to be careful and play the game at 100%.
OM- Who is the biggest joker in the dressing room?
AA- Souley (Diawara) and Taiwo they always joke and bring a good mood in the changing rooms.
OM-Who is your best friend in football?
AA- In football it is Daouda M'bow whom I knew from the reserve squad. He is now pro at OM but he is loaned to Ajaccio. I consider him as a brother.
OM- Is the CAN 2012 one of your goals? Do you want to revenge on the lost final of 2010?
AA- Yes, we definitely want to win this CAN, but it will be hard and we will have to fight to accomplish this, which is one of my main goals.
OM- Is Ghana the best African team at the moment?
AA- Yes, we are part of the three best African teams along with Cote Divoire and Cameroon. The luck we have, is that our team is young therefore we have new players available for the future.
OM- Does playing with someone like Lucho in midfield help you improve?
AA- Yes for sure, he is a player of international class who has known alot of things in football and has a style of playing which most people do not. Therefore playing next to him definitly helps me learn and improve. He gives me advice aswell.
OM- If you score agains Auxerre, can you give us a dance step or a little sign?
AA- Which type of dance?
OM- Coupe Decale?
AA- Yes, why not!