The former Black Stars player Lee Addy holds profound memories of the legend Abedi Pele who according to the player helped usher him into the world of football.
He gives all the positive news about Abedi Pele who rejected his premature exposure to Europe to groom him for something better in the future.
Not many will say no to Europe above all French clubs like Olympique Marseille and Chateauroux but Pele his agent brushed all these teams aside and more deeming their bid too low for the player’s qualities.
In an interview with Ernest Brew Smith TV, he said that despite impressing on his trials, Abedi refused to accept proposals from the clubs.
“I went for trials at Marseille and Chateauroux. He (Abedi) was impressed because he had positive feedback. But he didn’t accept any offer.”
Addy said he later found out that the Nania FC bankroller rated him highly and was not ready to accept a low offer.
“I learned the main reason he didn’t sell me was that he was offered a lower amount, which he felt was unfair because he rated us so highly. It wasn’t the case of him not wanting to sell us; he wasn’t getting the offer he wanted for us.”
“At the time, we (he and a colleague) thought he didn’t have our interests at heart, but when we started our professional careers, that’s when we got to know he was doing the right thing. But when you are on the outside, you will think he is a bad person, but when you take the next step, you will realize he was rather helping us to get everything in football.”
“He taught me many things from the grassroots to the top level. He prepared me for every situation, insults, playing through injuries, and many other things. He taught me that ‘A champion has to know how to play through pain.’ Back then we didn’t know until we traveled.”
Lee Addy will cherish the help the Ghanain legend gave him because in his experience playing at the top, he later realized the good the FC Nania coach had given him and he was grateful to have been patient enough to understand all this.
