John Mensah
Former Ghana right back John Paintsil has paid glowing tribute to his compatriot, John Mensah.
To him, his namesake represents a complete central defender who he partnered perfectly during their playing days in the national team.
The former Fulham/Leicester defender said, “John Mensah was a rock. At the back, he covered every position.”
Paintsil rated above all defenders he featured with in the Black Stars due to his exceptional strength and ability to apply brakes on attackers.
And responding to the compliments, Mensah, nicknamed The Rock of Gibraltar, stated, “l wouldn’t take the credit alone; it was a collective effort. All those l played with in defence contributed to my success story, including Paintsil himself.
“I will say timing is very key in every aspect of the game, but if your timing is right at the rear, you make a lot of difference. You have to be tough as well to check some attackers; some can be ‘naughty’.”
The stalwart libero remains one of the few Ghanaian players who never featured for any domestic side before flying abroad to pursue his career, having emerged as a fine young player from the Gold Fields Academy.
Mensah was outstanding for both club and country, having featured prominently for clubs like Olympic Lyon, Sunderland Renes and others.
The former Black Stars captain, who took over from Stephen Appiah, was a key figure in two World Cup campaigns ? 2006 in Germany and 2010 in South Africa.
Since his exit from the Black Stars, the team has struggled to provide a formidable rear.