“Football was everything to me – no excuses, just work“ – Muntari

Former Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari has made a stunning revelation about his football career, claiming he put the sport above everything in his life.

The combative midfielder began his career in Ghana, where he rose through the youth set up of Liberty Professionals in the early 2000s before signing for Italian outfit Udinese.

After joining Udinese in 2001, where he predominantly featured for the reserves, the young Muntari had to wait for his opportunity to play for the first team.

On November 6, 2002, Muntari made his first-team debut against AC Milan and never looked back.

The Ghanaian went on to have a globetrotting career, playing for clubs such as Udinese, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Sunderland, Al Ittihad, Pescara, Deportivo La Coruna, and Albacete.

In 2022, he returned back to the shores of Ghana, where he played for revered club Hearts of Oak before hanging his boots

Despite Sulley being seen as a controversial figure in many quarters, the former Champions League winner told 3Sports professionalism was non-negotiable to him in his playing days.

“I never did miss home because this is what I wanted to do. Football for me was everything. I never complained,” he said

“If I have to go to training, and even if I’m sick, I go. If there’s snow, I still go. If it is raining, I still go. I never complained and I never requested for extra time. For me it was purely work,” he added.

His unwavering commitment and work ethic saw him win some major laurels, including two Serie A crowns, one FA Cup, one Coppa Italia, one Uefa Champions League, one Fifa Club World Cup, one Ghana FA Cup among others.

For the national team, Sulley was capped 84 times for Ghana, scoring 20 goals, including notable goals at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.