Ghanaian football legend, Philip Opoku Sampene has detailed the reaction he received from English football icon Paul Gascoigne when he discovered that he was a Ghanaian football great.
Following his retirement, Opoku Sampene moved to the United Kingdom, where he now serves as a security officer at the stadium of Queens Park Rangers.
In the course of his duties as a security officer, Sampene crossed paths with Paul Gascoigne, who is widely known as Gaza.
Speaking in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah, Sampene stated that Gaza was happy to find out that he is an ex-footballer and questioned why he was hustling in the UK when he could have been a coach in Ghana.
Sampene defended his decision to stay in the UK, stating that his life would have taken a downward turn if he stayed in Ghana.
“I met Paul Gascoigne, and he was surprised after seeing my profile. Gaza asked why someone like me should be living abroad instead of coaching in Ghana. I told him if I had not left Ghana, things would have been difficult for me.
“He is the one I usually see. Occasionally, we have conversations when we meet. We stay in the same area. When he got to know me, he was shocked and asked why I was living here instead of coaching in Ghana,” he said.
Opoku Sampene disclosed his eagerness to coach in Ghana, revealing that he has undertaken some courses in the UK.
“Given the opportunity, I’d love to coach in Ghana. I did some courses and have some certificates but could not obtain the licenses,” he said.
Sampene featured for Asante Kotoko, Okwahu United, Bofoakwa Tano, Africa Sports of Ivory Coast, AA Gent of Belgium, and Queens Park Rangers, among others.
EK
