Daniel Amartey Enjoying Life in the Premier League

Following in the footsteps of N’Golo Kante, who has become the second player in Premier League history to win the title in successive seasons with different teams, is an almost impossible task, but for Daniel Amartey, his decision to move to England has proved to be a wise one.

The 22-year-old Black Stars international has shown glimpses of his potential since joining Leicester City from Danish side FC Copenhagen for €6.6 million in January 2016, with the versatile midfielder, who is equally capable of playing in defence, continuing to develop as a player in one of the best leagues in European football.

Some may have believed that Amartey took as big a gamble as throwing everything on red at the roulette table on Lucky Nugget Casino by moving to the Premier League at such a young age, but the fact that he has remained firmly in Kwesi Appiah’s thoughts is proof that he made the right decision and may fulfil his potential in England.

Amartey is amongst the thirty-man squad named by Appiah that will face Ethiopia in a 2019 AFCON Qualifier in Kumasi, followed by challenging friendly matches against Mexico and the United States. He has survived the ruthless cuts made by the Black Stars manager who has named his first squad since taking charge for the second time, with the likes of Christian Atsu, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Mubarak Wakaso left out in place of local-based players.

As many as seven have been called up as part of a pledge made by Appiah to involve more players based in Ghana; it may not only enable them to progress as footballers, but also promote the country’s ability to produce international stars on a consistent basis. Amartey certainly appears to be a central figure in the present and long-term future for the Black Stars, with the 22-year-old playing every minute of Ghana’s 2017 AFCON campaign in which the team finished fourth under Avram Grant. The Israeli manager resigned just days later after failing to lead the Black Stars to their first tournament success since 1982, but while Amartey was unable to guide his team to glory in Gabon, he will undoubtedly play a part in Ghana’s upcoming qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup and 2019 AFCON.

While Amartey came agonisingly close to tasting glory with the national team as part of the Black Stars squad that lost on penalties against the Ivory Coast in the 2015 AFCON Final, he has enjoyed greater success at domestic level. He picked up his first major piece of silverware in 2015 as FC Copenhagen beat Vestsjaelland 3-2 after extra time to win the DBU Pokalen (Danish Cup).

However, there can be no question that Amartey’s greatest achievement in his career came just months after moving to Leicester City; there were greater odds of hitting twenty-one when playing blackjack online Canada on Lucky Nugget Casino than the Foxes were to win the 2015/2016 Premier League title, but Leicester City surpassed odds of 5000/1 to take everyone by surprise and pull off one of the biggest shocks in the history of football. It is an achievement that Amartey will never forget, and while he only made five league appearances following his move from FC Copenhagen, the Black Stars international still played his part in creating a moment of history.

Kante’s departure from Leicester City to Chelsea last summer paved the way for Amartey to become a regular for the Foxes, but while it has been almost impossible to match a number of statistics, such as distance covered, number of tackles and successful interceptions that the Frenchman recorded in the 2015/2016 season, Amartey has performed well alongside fellow holding midfielder Danny Drinkwater.

He made twenty-four Premier League appearances during the 2016/2017 campaign in which Leicester City found it extremely difficult to replicate their success and defend their title, with Amartey also featuring in eight Champions League fixtures as the Foxes surprised everyone by reaching the Quarter Finals. While he may not be participating in a European competition next season, Black Stars manager Appiah will hope that Amartey continues to perform well at Leicester City and become an integral player for club and country.