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A long-term injury suffered at Fenerbahce in 2007 coupled with a contractual dispute with the club, which was eventually resolved by world soccer governing body FIFA contributed to limiting the Ghanaian player’s chances of regular football.

But the Ghana captain says he is not looking back at his failed attempts to land a club as he seeks to find one for the next season.

“I have not played for two years. I hope to regain those lost years. But for my mentality and positive attitude, I would have long [ago] packed it in,” he revealed.

“I will continue to be very professional and any time from now, I should be signing for a club.”

Appiah, who was close to tying a deal during the January transfer window had to see moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Russian club Rubin Kazan both fall through.

“I was originally meant to stay for five days. But after that, the club wanted me for another three weeks. After that, they again asked that I stay for a month. I then decided it was better to try elsewhere,” Appiah said in a television interview.

Appiah also disclosed that his move to Rubin Kazan scuttled because of his face-off with former Turkish club, Fenerbahce.

 

Club career

He earned the nickname Tornado due to the fact that he is very dominant in midfield and is also very strong. A combative player, Stephen Appiah has a strong engine and good tactical awareness. He is an all-round box-to-box midfielder who is able to defend as well as create and score goals. Appiah began his career at local club Hearts of Oak in 1995, at 15 years of age. In 1996 he had trials with Galatasaray SK’s youth squad but was not signed and he returned to Accra Hearts of Oak.

In 1997, the combative midfielder moved abroad to join Italian club Udinese Calcio in the Serie A championship. He spent three seasons with the club, and it was at the Friuli stadium that he morphed from a striker of promise into a midfield player of substance. Appiah assumed the deeper, more constructive role following his debut against US Lecce in February 1998.

In 2000, a transfer to Parma FC was jeopardised by viral hepatitis, but Appiah overcame the illness to move to Parma in the summer of 2000. The Ghanaian was on the fringe of becoming a regular at the Ennio Tardini stadium, and the club thought it would aid his development to spend the 2002-03 season on loan at Brescia Calcio. A first-team regular for Brescia, Appiah scored seven times in 31 games.

This alerted defending Serie A champions Juventus Football Club to his talents. Juventus paid Parma the sum of €2m, in the 2003 summer, to secure Appiah’s services on loan, with an option of a permanent €6m transfer in 2004. “It is a terrific opportunity for me”, Appiah said. “You cannot ask for more than to play for a team like Juve.” In 2003, Stephen Appiah was nominated and finished 8th for African Footballer of the Year. He went on to enjoy a solid first season for Juventus at the Delle Alpi stadium, playing 30 Serie A games, appearing in the Coppa Italia final, won by S.S. Lazio over two legs, and making his debut in the UEFA Champions League. Although Appiah lost his place in the team to Manuele Blasi early in his second season, he played 18 Serie A games as Juventus won the domestic title for the 28th time.

In July 2005, he was transferred from Juventus to Fenerbahçe, the defending Turkish champions, for €8 million. He won the Turkish Super League Championship with Fenerbahçe in their centenary year. At the end of the 2006/07 season, Appiah expressed a desire to move on from Fenerbahçe SK although the club wished to extend his current contract.

After a long knee injury layoff, Appiah came off the bench in the UEFA Champions League match for Fenerbahçe against PSV Eindhoven on 7 November 2007, marking a complete recovery for him. On 8 November 2007, he was linked with a return to Juventus by the Italian media[2]. Appiah went to Italy for rehabilitation of his injury. The long-ter

Stephen Appiah

Personal information

Full name Stephen Appiah

Date of birth December 24, 1980 (1980-12-24) (age 28)

Place of birth    Accra, Ghana

Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)

Playing position Midfielder

Senior career1

Years Club App (Gls)*

1995–1997

1997–2000

2000–2003

2002–2003

2003–2005

2005–2008 Hearts of Oak

Udinese

Parma

? Brescia (loan)

Juventus

Fenerbahçe 21 (19)

36 0(0)

29 0(0)

31 0(7)

48 0(3)

64 (11)   

National team2

1996- Ghana 53 (13)

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