Former AS Roma youth star Ahmed Apimah Barusso, has blamed injuries for stifling his football career and stalling his progress.
Barusso was regarded the next big thing in Italian football when Roma paid 1.7 million euros for part ownership of him in 2007.
But his career never quite took off at Roma, who shipped him out on loan to 6 different clubs in 5 years before he eventually left.
Barusso also played only 6 times for the Black Stars, infamously blasting a last minute free-kick over the bar in the AFCON 2008 semi final defeat to Cameroon.
The 35 year old told Citi Sports’ Daniel Koranteng in an exclusive interview from his base in Italy that the reason he did not quite reach the top was because of his persistent injuries.
“Injuries have been one of the major things that has worried me. But then I never gave up on it because it’s part of the game,” the former Nania FC colossal midfielder began.
“You have to be strong. If my mentality is not strong on that I wouldn’t be able to overcome such difficult times, especially in Rome. It was a very hectic moment; bad bad bad. I was one of the players, every little game, everybody wanted to watch me and it had to happen that way,” he concluded.
After leaving Roma in 2012, Barusso joined Genoa where he made no appearance before being loaned to Serie B side Novara. A move to Torino then followed in 2014, but with no appearances, he left for Arezzo, then Virtus Camposanto and is currently on the books of Corlona.
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"Bad bad bad"
Ahmed Barusso recounts "difficult" time at AS Roma and how injuries prevented him from becoming the top player he was popped up to be. #CitiSports pic.twitter.com/v0h8pRT4Uq
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