The former West Ham record signing was linked led with several European clubs this summer but he opted to play in the Gulf region and has now lift the lid on the rationale behind it
Ghana captain and former Swansea City superstar Andre Ayew has revealed that he joined Qatari giants Al Sadd because he feels it was the best among the many options he was presented with.
The 32-year-old saw his contract with Swansea expired in June and he after the club failed to qualify to play in the Premier League this season, he decided to leave England to team up with Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez who is currently building a legacy in Qatar with Al Sadd.
Ayew’s father, Abedi Ayew Pele, played with Al Sadd close to four decades ago and he had a major say in his son’s move.
“To be honest, Al Sadd is a club I know and I have followed for a long time. My father played here and this is the club that gave him the opportunity to leave Ghana. So it’s a club that I always followed. I followed the players who played here: Raul, Mamadou Niang, Abdelkader Keita – a lot of players played for this great club,” Ayew told his club’s website.
“As soon as I was informed that Al-Sadd was interested, I thought straightaway that it was a very good idea for me. For me, it’s the best club in the Gulf; I watched their style of play and it’s the best club here.”
He continued: “It’s also a club which I have a personal history with due to my father
I followed the club when I was young because my father always followed the club’s results. It wasn’t a surprise for me, I was very happy and proud, but I had to take some time to make the decision, because I had a few offers from the Gulf and from Europe, so I had to take time to make the right decision.”
“But as soon as I spoke to the coach Xavi, I knew this was the right place for me for my future. Then I took the decision to come and everything happened fast.”
“When you play for Al-Sadd, you know you have to win everything. We will try to do what we did last season – to win every trophy. And then next year, we will have the chance to play in the Champions League. We will take it step by step and for me, it’s important now to continue with what we started.”
“I hope I can be part of the winning team this season also inshaAllah. We will try and win maximum games and bring trophies to the club, and also try and prepare for the big tournament – the Champions League.” he concluded.
Ayew also shed lights on Al Sadd’s preseason currently ongoing in Spain and believes all is going well for him and his teammates.
“Everything is great,” said Ayew. “I feel good because the players made me feel good. The players who have been here for a long time, they all accommodated me well.
“They included me in the family and that’s very important for me because I feel before you are able to perform on the pitch, you have to feel good. The players are making me feel welcome and I want to thank them for the welcome they gave me.
“I’m still getting to know everybody, getting to know how training is going, the tactics, what the coach wants. But I am really sure everything will be fine. It is a process, but from what I’ve seen so far, everything has been great.
“The training, the fun between the players, everything has been great. I’m happy and this is what’s important for me. Now I have to get to my 100% and deliver on the field.”