There had been a significant evolution in the career of Thomas Partey who’s journey begun in Krobo- Odumase en route Tema Youth FC to Arsenal FC in England.
The lanky enforcer was player for a juvenile team called Odumase Youth in the U-10 before he moved to a Colts club in Ashaiman called Revolutions. While playing for the Colt club in Ashaiman in 2010, Tema Youth SC, a Ghanaian Division two side spotted him and brought him together with one other player with an amount of GHC 2,000.
Partey was part of Tema Youth team that went 17 matches unbeaten in 2011/12 Division One Middle league zone three and went ahead to play the play-off to qualify to Ghanaian top flight after beating D’ International 4-1 at Essipong Stadium Sekondi with Coach Tony Loko leading the pack.
The team that set the unbeaten record for Tema Youth include; Thomas Partey, Francis Narh, Moses Odjer, Derick Mensah, Charles Akonfo, Jeremy Arkoful etc. According to the bank roller of Tema Youth SC , Winfred Osei Kwaku Pamler , Partey’s squad happened to be his best Tema Youth team ever. Nine of his players by then were playing for the the national teams. The like of Francis Narh, Moses Odjer among other such players.
When Tema Youth FC qualified to Ghana premier league, Thomas Partey was given four years contract which he only played one season and he left the club. Tema Youth FC finished 11th with 35 points on the league table in 2011/2012 GPL.
Our checks from the Ghana Football Association, the club Odumase FC never existed with no traces of official registration.
Information submitted to transfer market were distorted to conceal the good works of those who developed the player but the “Odumase” is rather a town where Partey’s father comes from. Partey’s father used to organize children to play football and at the age of 9, Partey was training with his father’s team. While playing for that team, his father gave him the nickname “Senegal”, because he reminded him of a friend with the same name.
To set the record straight, Partey’s colts time, he was playing for a Revolution football club, a colts football team based in Ashaiman District but not Odumase FC. Odumase FC never existed at the Ghana FA.
Partey’s journey to Spain
After his splendid performance at Tema Youth SC, an agent quickly took him to Spain where he was give a trial with Atletico Madrid Youth academy. The Rojiblanco coaching staff did not hesitate to sign him. In four months, he then made the leap from their U-18s to the U-19s and a season later he was already in the colchoneros’ second team.
Partey was loaned out to RCD Mallorca and Almeria before Diego Simone gave him the first team. Partey made his top flight debut for the colchoneros in later November, 2015, coming off the bench against Espanyol.
He earned his debut call to represent his country (Black Stars) after playing for RCD Mallorca has trained with Ghana’s U-20 team but did not make the squad for 2013 U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
His records with Ghana’s national team is impeccable. He has bagged an impressive 10 goals in 28 games.
The 27- year-old completed his £45 million move from Atlético Madrid to Arsenal, becoming the most expensive Ghanaian in the league’s history, topping the prices fetched by Michael Essien when he joined in 2005 in a fee of £38 million and André Ayew, when he joined West Ham in a fee of £24.10 m.
He made 188 appearance in all competitions, scoring 16 goals creating 12 assists and picking up just one red card despite the role he plays in midfield.
Tema Youth FC will be laughing all the way to the bank when the training package droops from Arsenal FC.
Watch the full documentary Below
