Tariq Lamptey, a defender for Brighton & Hove Albion, has admitted that the friendliness of Ghanaians affected his choice to play for the Black Stars, the senior national team.
Tariq Lamptey claimed that when he first visited Ghana, Ghanaians offered him a warm welcome, which influenced his choice to change his nationality from England.
Lamptey expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome he got in Ghana during an appearance on the Citi Breakfast Show and admitted that it had an impact on his decision-making.
While he acknowledged that a number of circumstances played a role in his choice to join the Black Stars, he said that the unforgettable emotion he had while working with the Ghanaian people on his charitable foundation was a turning point.
“It was a number of things that went into it but one of them was when I was doing my charity foundation last summer, and you see the people and the amazing feeling that they give you. So that obviously made the decision.
“To be fair you don’t know what to expect when you come, and it was that time of the decision and like I said it was amazing, and I’m always grateful.”
Lamptey also expressed gratitude to his Black Stars teammates for facilitating his smooth transition to the senior national team and made improvements to the squad’s outlook for the future.
“It was amazing, we have a very good team, we have a mixture of some great players in Europe, it was very easy, it was like a family, and we know what we can do.”
Before electing to play for Ghana, Lamptey, a current player for Brighton & Hove Albion, had previously represented England at the youth level.
At the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, he made his first World Cup debut with the Black Stars.
