I almost kicked out Mohammed Salisu- Director of African Talent Academy

Mohammed Salisu’s rise to stardom could have delayed if he had been kicked out from the African Talent Football Academy

Director of the African Talent Football Academy Fran Castano has said that he almost gave up on Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu.

Mohammed Salisu is one of the best performing young defenders in World football, having impressed on his debut with Real Valladolid in the Spanish La Liga and got nominated into the U-21 team as well as the breakthrough team of the 2019/2020 season.

The 21-year-old Ghanaian defender has been snapped up by English Premier League outfit Southampton for a £10.9m fee.

However, Mohammed Salisu struggled at the early stages of his career and he was also kicked out according to the director of his former academy.

“I was about to kick him out," the Director of the African Talent Football Academy said in an interview with Sky Sports.

"But he caught my attention within 10 minutes. Salisu is special. Off the pitch, he was quiet and calm. He liked being alone or with three or four of his closest friends. He was very shy.

"On the pitch, everything changed. Character, aggression and leadership.

"He always wanted to win and he was capable of forgetting bad moments very quickly.

“His rapid rise has not been easy, but he has a very strong personality and knows what he wants." He added.