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The Black Stars forward despite growing up in a pretty challenging condition developed a love for his faith at a very early stage.

Atsu, who is a twin brother to his sister, Christiana grew up in a very big family. The Ghanaian player who is one of ten children saw his father Immanuel die when he was just 12 years old leading to struggles in his family concerning affording him being in school.

Newcastle United’s attacker takes inspiration from a comment made by one of his pastors at the age of 16 about good and bad, a comment aided in his days at Feyenoord’s West African Academy.

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Christian Atsu recalls the pastor saying:

“One day, I went to church. If I went to church one Sunday, then the next Sunday maybe I would not go. At this time I was not even 16 years old. Then the pastor told my mum something. I was very young, but what he said was very painful to me.

“He said, ‘if you are this age and you don’t know what is good or bad, then maybe you will not grow again.

“I took this as a bad comment, but for me, I think it was a good thing. I realised that ‘He has seen me as a grown man. I can make a decision’. It’s what you are doing, what you believe in, how you think. I felt that what you can go through can help you become a man quickly.”

During his days at the West African Football Academy, Atsu tells Newcastle United’s official website “at this stage, I was doing a lot of things by myself. I could make my own decisions.”

The former FC Porto player looked up to God during the hard times knowing God brings people into the lives of others to make them move forward.

“As far as I’m concerned, God brings people into our life to help us move forward. This is what has been happening to me. I’ve been praying to God to bring people into my life to help me move forward, and it has been happening to me. Even in my worst times, I got to know good people who try to help me move forward.”

However, the journey has not always been easy. Atsu has sometimes thought to himself “Why? Why? Why?” but realizes he might be complaining too much and brings himself back to trusting God.

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“Sometimes I would complain to God a lot. Sometimes, ‘why should I suffer like this? Why should some people have it easy?’ When I was growing, I would read the Bible, trying to understand everything. Why? Why? Why?’

“Then I realised that I was complaining too much. God’s power has to be manifested in my life for people to see how far he has brought me. The Bible says it is not by our hard work, by what we do, that makes us reach the level that we are now. For example, like me – it is not just by my hard work, though I am working hard, but it is the will of God, the grace of God, that has brought me this far.”

The humble and kind nature of a charitable Christian Atsu is also a trait that has been lauded by many. The former Chelsea player does not attribute it all to his challenging beginning of having to grow up in a family where every child at a point had to look after themselves. He believed and had hope which eventually worked in his favour.

Christian Atsu ends with one aim and makes that a priority in what he does with his own small family. The Black Stars forward ends his interview at the Hillsong Church where he worships telling Newcastle United’s website:

“I’m here to worship God. I want to live a free life.”