Beşiktaş forward, Kevin Prince-Boateng, has revealed that choosing Ghana over Germany was the best decision in his career.
The former AC Milan attacker revealed this in a Puma interview with Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry.
Boateng confirmed his nationality switch before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and was part of the Black Stars team for that tournament and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Overall, he played 15 times for Ghana.
When asked by the former Gunner why he chose Ghana over Germany, the 33-year-old highlighted the fact that he was of a mixed race and was discovering himself as he grew up.
“That’s a tricky one. But it is simple. If you were like me, like yourself, we are all mixed race. Two sides.
When you are young, you do not really know who you are. So you always have a lot of questions, trying to figure out yourself.
So I did not feel German 100%, neither did I feel Ghanaian 100%. Of course, I am both Ghanaian and German but a lot of mixed-race people born in Germany feel 100% German.
Others also felt they were more Nigerian, Cameroonian, Ghanaian or whatever but I was always in the middle not knowing 100% what I was”.
Boateng admitted he was willing to represent Germany at the national level but thought he did not have the right character to be able to make the jump to the first team of the national team.
“So when football came in and offered me the chance to play for Germany, I was proud to play for them, to hear the national anthem and what have you.
But as I grew older, and kept my brains where I was, I said what I think, I always wanted to prove my point, whatever. It was not so welcomed, let’s put it like that. I always said it’s like this and the coaches will be like ‘no, it is like that’. Obviously the coaches are right but I always wanted to prove my point.
So there came a point when I thought that maybe I would not play for the first team of Germany. Because maybe it will not be about qualities. My character did not fit so I chose to play for Ghana and honestly, it is the best decision I have made in my career.
Because to go home to see your roots, to see your people, different culture and I had the chance to play two World cups. It gave me a lot”.
