African stars in Europe: Mohammed Kudus the Ghanaian midfield whizz kid

Mohammed Kudus (West Ham United and Ghana)

One of the more sought-after players in this transfer window will be Ghanaian midfield whizz kid Mohamed Kudus, but it is going to cost a pretty penny for any club to prise him away from West Ham United.

Kudus left a strong impression after his first season in the Premier League, looking worth every penny of the £38 million fee that the Hammers paid to buy him from Ajax Amsterdam.

At the same time, he enhanced his reputation on the international stage too, one of the few Ghanaian players who were able to impress during a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in the Ivory Coast.

The 23-year-old signed off the club season with a goal away as Manchester City were celebrating victory on the last day of the Premier League campaign and then played an imposing role for the Black Stars as they won away in Mali and at home over the Central African Republic for six vital points in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

That Kudus will be a key component of coach Otto Addo’s team over the next two years as they attempt to qualify for the 2026 finals in North America is without doubt.

Kudus has had a quick rise up the footballing ladder, having always had something special about him from the time he joined the Right to Dream academy and began his path to stardom.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

He comes from humble beginnings in Accra’s tough Nima neighbourhood.

“When you say Nima, it’s like there’s a lot of violence happening there, it’s like a ghetto and you need to be street smart and tough to stay there,” Kudus told recent interviewers, but insists it is also a haven for the game. “There’s a lot of professional players from there. It’s why I always keep mentioning where I come from. There can be talent as well."

“It’s my responsibility to share my story and represent where I’m from,” he says. “I don’t feel it’s a burden. It’s a responsibility that comes with the position that God has put me into. I’m just trying to put more light onto this area, get more scouts there and engage more young footballers there.”

His mother earned a living selling food on the streets to support Mohammed and his three older siblings.

"She risked her life to take care of me and my family,” he explains.

His football dream started at Dynamic Heroes in Nima. At the age of 12, Kudus left his family and travelled several hundred kilometres away to find out whether the 'Right to Dream Academy' would be his springboard to Europe.

And so it proved, thanks to the former Manchester United scout and academy founder Tom Vernon, a man with a keen eye for talent.

Since 1999, philanthropist and football man Vernon has literally brought young people into his home to lift them out of poverty and by providing them with food, shelter and education, offered them the opportunity to capitalise on their talent.

"There is a good chance that the next Lionel Messi or Usain Bolt will be in Africa but will not get the chance to develop his talent," Vernon says.

DANISH PATH TO EUROPE

Right to Dream is now regarded as the best football academy in Africa and they have bought the Danish club Nordsjaelland, where the best young Ghanaian talents go as a springboard to making it in one of the major European leagues.

That was the path for Kudus too, and he was a national team player before he was 20, scoring on debut against Bafana Bafana.

From Denmark to Ajax and then West Ham. “Denmark was very cold. It was different. The culture. But there was no turning back.”

He flew his mother, Mariam, and brothers Rahman and Fatawu to be present when he signed for West Ham. He is close to them, his sister, Memuna, and his uncles, who travel over with Mariam for some of his games.

“I was ready to make that step [to the Premier League] after the season I had at Ajax. I’m a player who doesn’t want to be in my comfort zone and I felt it was time for the next hurdle.

“The other clubs, it’s true they were in contact and we were speaking to them, but when West Ham came it moved fast and I made my decision based on speaking to people around the club, their project and how they see me as a player. I made the decision based on my gut feeling and my stomach. That’s how I make my decisions. Whatever the ramifications are, I take it on myself.

“I didn’t start playing from the start but I was ready for the opportunity. The first proper league game I started was against Everton and when I got the opportunity, in my head I was, ‘Yeah, you’re not getting out of the team after this’. After that game, I started playing and playing and kept doing my thing.”

'KUDUS CELEBRATION'

Now Kudus has created a phenomenon with his goal celebration. It did it first after a sweet finish after cutting inside against Arsenal in the League Cup: ran to the sideline, hopped up onto an advertising board and sat facing the pitch with his back to the crowd.

“I wanted to do something out of the box because most celebrations are pretty normal, sliding and stuff. I wanted to add more meaning to me scoring,” he says. “It’s all about sitting down, resting after scoring a goal, but literally there’s no deeper meaning than that.”

The “Kudus celebration” is now a thing, even Mohamed Salah borrowed it, and Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund did it together after Garnacho scored for Manchester United against West Ham.

“I’ll have to come up with another juice and put more spices in the tin,” Kudus jokes, but says he doesn’t really mind the celebration being copied. “Other players are allowed to do it, but soon they will have to start paying taxes!”