My Juventus career ended after representing Ghana at 2004 Olympics- Stephen Appiah

Stephen Appiah was one of the three over-aged players who opted to join Ghana for the 2004 Summer Olympics staged in Athens.

Being an overaged player the Olympics football which is meant for U-23 players was optional for him, but the ex-Black Stars skipper decided to represent Ghana.

Appiah lost his starting spot in the star-studded Juventus team and he has said that his decision to join Ghana for the Summer Olympics at a time the Serie A was ongoing was the reason why his promising career with the Binaconeri ended prematurely.

” I was invited to the Juventus office and they said they didn’t want me to go for the Olympics. I said I love Juventus but my country comes first. I went to Athens and that was the end of my Juventus career,” he told Joy FM.

Stephen Appiah made 48 appearances and scored 4 for goals for Juventus during his 3 years stay at the club.

He captained Ghana as they qualified for their maiden FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006 and he also led the West African nation during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The 39-year-old played 14 games for the Black Stars and scored 14 goals