Assistant coach of the Black Stars, George Boateng, has revealed he was not forced to step down from his role as Aston Villa U-23 boss as part of taking his new role with the national team.
The 46-year-old announced his decision to quit working with the Premier League side last month citing the need to concentrate on his role with Ghana as the reason behind it.
The former Villa player worked on a temporary basis prior to Ghana's qualification to the FIFA 2022 World Cup and did the same during the summer period when the team travelled to Japan for the Kirin Cup.
However, Boateng decided to quit his role with Villa and focus solely on the Black Stars with the World Cup fast approaching.
Speaking to Joy Sports on his decision, he said, "It is not that I was forced to leave the [Villa U-23] job but you have to respect the club as well and the discussion was always between what’s the best thing for the club, what’s the best thing for the coach [George Boateng] and what is the best thing overall moving forward for me."
"I was adamant that I want to do the job with Ghana. I wanted and felt it is the right decision to stay with Ghana and help. Then you come to the conclusion that both jobs are full-time and both jobs demand a lot of time and being the person that I am, I don’t like to lack in any department of what I do and what I undertake," he added.
According to him, choosing Ghana over the Villa job is going to be the best decision in the long term.
"To be fully committed I had to make a decision and when I look at the overall picture, to me, it was the best decision for the club because when I am away every time on international duty, especially [knowing] the World Cup could be anything from three to six weeks," he noted.
"And to be away from the role that I am doing, the club said that it is almost impossible because I will be missed and it’s not like you can replace somebody who knows the curriculum, who knows the programme, and more importantly, who has been working with the players for the last three seasons.
"Then we both decided that it was best for me to resign from one of my duties which will be the AV one and prolong my career with Ghana going forward."
Boateng is currently in camp with the Black Stars, who will playing Brazil in France on Friday, September 23.
Latest Stories
-
Over 40 health facilities completed under Akufo-Addo’s tenure, Okoe-Boye reveals
5 mins -
Reflect integrity, become problem solvers – Graduates told
7 mins -
ILO Valuation Report based on assumptions – SSNIT
10 mins -
NDC won’t allow you to impose your successor on Ghanaians arrogantly – Mahama to Akufo-Addo
13 mins -
Dumsor: Okoe-Boye advises hospitals to use generators
18 mins -
Akufo-Addo’s insistence that chiefs stand up to greet him worrying, disrespectful – Mahama
24 mins -
First Atlantic Bank wins ‘Digital Bank of the Year’
49 mins -
Ejisu by-election comes off today
52 mins -
Cedi to weaken further; year-to-date depreciation hits 13.35%
53 mins -
Bond market: Total market turnover declined by 32.36% to GH¢772.30m
57 mins -
Fuel price increases expected to slow down in coming days – IES
1 hour -
Prisons Service says it is probing officers vs. soldiers clash in Bawku
1 hour -
Border restrictions impact businesses and residents amid Togo elections
2 hours -
We’ve helped close leakage gaps – SML maintains
2 hours -
Ketu South MCE commissions an ultra-modern toilet facility in Aflao
2 hours