Stephen Appiah

Early career in Ghana and Italy

Appiah began his career at a local club named Hearts of Oak, in 1995, at age 15. In 1996, he had trials with Galatasaray's youth squad but was not signed and he returned to Hearts of Oak. In 1997, he moved abroad to join Italian Serie A side Udinese, where he initially played as a striker. He spent three seasons with the club, later changing positions during his time there, moving to a deeper midfield position. A transfer to Parma in 1999 was jeopardised by viral hepatitis, but Appiah overcame the illness to move there in the summer of 2000. After two seasons at Parma, Appiah went on loan to Brescia for the 2002–03 season. Appiah became a first-team regular for the Lombardians, and scored seven times in 31 games.

Juventus

Appiah's success at Parma alerted defending Serie A champions Juventus to his talents. Juventus paid Parma €2 million in the summer of 2003 to secure Appiah's services on loan, with an option to a permanent €6 million transfer in 2004. In 2003, Appiah finished 8th for African Footballer of the Year. He went on to enjoy a good first season for Juventus, playing in 30 Serie A games and appearing in the Coppa Italia final. He also made his debut in the UEFA Champions League. In his second season at Juventus, Appiah played in 18 Serie A games.

Fenerbahçe

In July 2005, he was transferred from Juventus to Turkish giants Fenerbahçe for €8 million. He went on to win the Süper Lig championship with the club…

Youth

Appiah was part of the Ghana squad which won the FIFA U-17 World Championship tournament in 1995 at age 14. The team beat Brazil in the final to lift the trophy.

Olympics

In 2004 Olympics game in Athens, Greece. He was one of three 'over-aged players' in the squad. Appiah had carved a niche for himself as a stylish and composed attacking midfielder, who had a deadly eye for goal as well. He scored twice in that short stint in Athens, shining in all three group games, running the attacking department in spectacular fashion.

Black Stars

Appiah made his Black Stars debut on his 16th birthday He made his debut when Ghana played Benin in a four nations tournament in Cotonou. Appiah replaced then skipper Abedi Pele in the 80th minute after Ghana had taken a commanding 2–0 lead. He first took over the armband when Ghana faced Slovenia national team in a friendly fixture and would go on to lead the team to secure a historic first-time qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Appiah captained Ghana to its first World Cup in 2006. During the tournament, he scored a penalty in the team's final group match, a 2–1 win over the United States, which allowed them to advance to the round of 16 of the tournament. Appiah also led Ghana to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On 22 August 2010, following Ghana's World Cup record quarter-final finish, Appiah announced his retirement from the national team at the age of 29. At the end of his international career, he had…

Appiah was an all-round box-to-box midfielder, who was capable of defending well, as well as orchestrating attacks, due to his vision, technique, powerful physique, and tackling. He was also known for his passing and playmaking ability, as well as his long range shooting ability with his right foot, which along with his ability to make exploit spaces by making late runs, allowed him to create chances for teammates, or even score goals himself. As a versatile player, he was capable of playing anywhere in midfield, and adapting himself to several different formations, but usually operated in the centre of the pitch.

Appiah has a son, Rodney Appiah who plays for Accra Great Olympics in the Ghana Premier League.