Netherlands defender of Ghanaian descent Timothy Fosu-Mensah has revealed he keeps tabs on the Black Stars despite turning down an opportunity to play for the side.
The former Manchester United man was born to Ghanaian parents in Amsterdam, making him eligible to represent both nations.
In 2017, he rejected a chance to join the Black Stars before going ahead to make his senior debut for Oranje, having played for the Europeans at various youth levels.
“I have been watching Ghana, especially the 2010 World Cup,” Fosu Mensah, who is currently on holiday in Ghana, told Citi Sports.
“It was the first time Kevin Prince Boateng joined the national team.
“Recently I have seen that unfortunately they lost [1-0] to Morocco, but yeah I have been watching.”
Fosu-Mensah, who currently plays for German Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen, has made three senior appearances for the Netherlands so far.
“I get emotional when they [Ghana] lose, especially against Uruguay during the 2010 World Cup,” he continued.
“This is because in Amsterdam we lived in a flat with a lot of other Ghanaians.
“When that happened, it was painful but when Ghana was scoring my brother and I would open the door and shout in celebration.
“When you think about it, it is special.”
The defender is currently nursing an injury that put him out of contention for a place in the Netherlands squad for the ongoing Euro 2020 Championship.
“We have indeed been called. Ghana want to persuade him to play for them,” a spokesperson of Fosu-Mensah’s Stellar Group agency told news outlet Algemeen Dagblad in 2016, a year before the player’s debut in a World Cup qualifier against France.
After impressing for Ajax at youth level, Fosu-Mensah joined Manchester United in 2016. Owing to limited playing opportunities at Old Trafford, the kind which necessitated loan moves to Crystal Palace and Fulham, the 23-year-old left the Red Devils for Leverkusen in January this year.
He is one of four players of Ghanaian descent currently fully capped by the Netherlands and available to the side, the others being Olympique Lyon attacker Memphis Depay, PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gapko and AZ Alkmaar striker Myron Boadu.
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