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Anthony Annan

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Anthony Annan
Personal information
Full name Anthony Annan
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rosenborg BK
Number 4
Youth career
1998-2000 Super Rainbow Stars
2000-2001 Venomous Vipers
2002 S.C. Adelaide
2003 Sekondi Wise Fighters
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 Sekondi Hasaacas
2005–2007 Hearts of Oak
2007–2008 IK Start 11 (0)
2008 → Stabæk (loan) 12 (0)
2008- Rosenborg BK 44 (0)
International career‡
2007– Ghana 41 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 November 2009
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2009

Anthony Annan (born July 21, 1986 in Accra) is a Ghanaian international footballer who plays for Norwegian club Rosenborg BK as of 31st of August 2008, having been bought from IK Start. He also played for Stabæk in 2008 on loan from IK Start. He is a central midfielder.

Club career

Playing in Ghana

Anthony Annan began playing his football with a local colts Super Rainbow Stars in Cape Coast ,Ghana. He also played for Cape Coast Venomous Vipers in the Ghanaian Division one league before joined Sekondi Hasaacas in 2003 and later moved to Accra Hearts of oak in 2005. At Accra Hearts of Oak, Annan was regarded as the best young midfielder in Ghana. He combined midfield artistry with some goal scoring skills, and endeared himself to many football fans in Ghana. Anthony Annan joined Accra Hearts of Oak from Sekondi Hasaacas FC in the 2005/2006 league season.

Transfer to Norway

He signed for the Norwegian club I.K. Start in January 2007 , after a very promising career in Ghana with his local club Accra Hearts of Oak.[2] He quickly established himself as a first team regular during I.K. Start's preseason games, and showed skills both on and off the ball. Unfortunately he was plagued by injury and illness during the first part of the 2007 season, and did not gain trust from then head coach Benny Lennartson in the important final games to avoid relegation.

After Start got relegated during the 2007 season, he joined Stabæk on loan until August 2008. He had been playing well in the heart of midfield as Stabæk went unbeaten in an impressive opening half of the season. Stabæk hinted that they would want to buy him from Start, but Start stated that they would have to pay a "European transfer-fee". Instead, Annan claimed that several "big" clubs had approached his agent and that he would leave Norway during the summer.

On August 1, 2008 it was revealed that Annan would be travelling to England for a trial with Blackburn Rovers. After impressing Paul Ince and the Blackburn coaching staff immensely, while on trial, he was sent back to his club to play in one more competitive game where the Blackburn Rovers scouts were to watch and report back on whether or not to complete the signing. It is also rumoured that Arsenal and Everton wanted to have Annan for a trial, but his first-team responsibilities with Stabæk prevented it from happening.

On August 31, 2008 he was presented for the audience on Lerkendal as a Rosenborg player before the match against Vålerenga. Rosenborg paid £1.2 million to get him from Start. (Rosenborg won the game against Vålerenga 2-1). He made his league debut for Rosenborg on 14 September 2008 against Fredrikstad, with the game ending 1-1.

Attributes

Nicknamed Pablo Aimar in comparison to the Argentine national midfield superstar, Annan combines immense skill with a physical presence that belies his average height. Similar in style to Ghanaian midfield Superstar Michael Essien of Chelsea, Annan is touted as the next big thing to come out of Africa into Europe.

International career

A Junior and Olympic International for Ghana, Annan received his first senior call up for the national team on 20 March 2007 as a direct injury replacement for Essien for Ghana's FIFA International friendlies against Austria and Brazil in 2007.[3] His first cap came against Brazil on March 27, 2007 at the Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden when Ghana lost 0-1.[4] He made his first goal for the national team in the 2-2 draw against Mali 15 November 2009.[5]

Honours

Club

Stabæk
Rosenborg BK

Titles and Honours

Ghana

Personal life

Anthony claims to be the nephew of the ex-United Nations General-Secretary Kofi Annan.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Har han krympet?". Adresseavisen. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  2. ^ "Freedom of expression must stay as much as the quality". The Times. London. 19 January 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Fresh call-ups for Ghana". Official Website. Ghana Football Association. 2007-03-21. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  4. ^ "Stars fall to Love strike". Official Website. Ghana Football Association. 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2007-03-29. Ghana coach, Claude Le Roy had the opportunity to try out four uncapped players as he handed Anthony Annan a place in the starting line up in his debut game for the Black Stars.
  5. ^ "Ghana draw with Mali". BBC. 16 November 2009.
  6. ^ "Mestvinnende" (in Norwegian). Fotballadressa. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  7. ^ "Mestvinnende" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  8. ^ Annan Interview

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anthony_Annan&oldid=370318890"