Christian Atsu

Christian Atsu Twasam (born 10 January 1992) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Ghanaian national team. He primarily plays as a winger, although he has also been deployed as an attacking midfielder.

Christian Atsu
Atsu playing for Ghana in March 2015
Personal information
Full name Christian Atsu Twasam[1]
Date of birth (1992-01-10) 10 January 1992
Place of birth Ada Foah, Ghana
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)[2]
Position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 Newcastle United
Number 30
Youth career
Feyenoord Fetteh
2009–2011 Porto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Porto 17 (1)
2011–2012 → Rio Ave (loan) 27 (6)
2013–2017 Chelsea 0 (0)
2013–2014 → Vitesse (loan) 28 (5)
2014–2015 → Everton (loan) 5 (0)
2015–2016 → Bournemouth (loan) 0 (0)
2016 → Málaga (loan) 12 (2)
2016–2017 → Newcastle United (loan) 32 (5)
2017– Newcastle United 75 (3)
National team‡
2012– Ghana 65 (9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:17, 8 July 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13:05, 15 July 2019 (UTC)

He began his career with Porto, also spending a season on loan at Rio Ave. In 2013, he was signed by Chelsea for £3.5 million, who subsequently loaned him to Vitesse Arnhem, Everton, AFC Bournemouth and Málaga. After spending the 2016–17 season on loan at Newcastle United, he completed a permanent transfer to the club in May 2017.

A full international with over 30 caps since his debut in 2012, Atsu has represented Ghana at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped the team finish as runners-up at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he also won Player of the Tournament and Goal of the Tournament.

Early life

Atsu was born in Ada Foah, Greater Accra Region.[3] He spent some of his education at the then Feyenoord Football Academy at Gomoa Fetteh, in the Central Region of Ghana which has now been changed to West African Football Academy in Sogakope in the Volta Region of Ghana[4]

Club career

Porto

Atsu arrived at Porto at the age of 17, manager patrick greveraars scouted him and gave him his first change finishing his football formation with the club. On 14 May 2011, he was called up by first-team manager André Villas-Boas for a Primeira Liga match against Marítimo, but he did not leave the bench.

As with teammate Kelvin, Atsu was sent on loan to fellow league side Rio Ave for the 2011–12 season. He made his debut in the competition on 28 August 2011, in a 0–1 home loss against Olhanense. On 16 December 2011, Atsu opened the score at Estádio da Luz against Benfica in the 24th minute, but the hosts eventually won it 5–1.[5]

He returned to Porto for the 2012–13 campaign, starting in nine of his league appearances as they won the national championship for the third consecutive time.[6]

Chelsea

On 1 September 2013, Atsu agreed to join Chelsea on a five-year contract, for a reported £3.5 million, being immediately loaned to Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem, for the rest of the 2013–14 season.[7]

Loan to Vitesse

On 6 October 2013, Atsu made his debut against Feyenoord as a substitute, replacing Kazaishvili in the 77th minute. He went on to providing an assist to Mike Havenaar, but it was not enough to prevent a 2–1 loss for Vitesse.[8] On 19 October, Atsu made his first start against SC Heerenveen, which ended in a 3–2 win for Vitesse.[9] On 9 November, he converted a penalty for his first goal with Vitesse, against FC Utrecht; the match ended in a 3–1 win for Vitesse.[10]

In total, Atsu played 30 games and scored 5 goals for the Dutch side as they finished 6th in the league and qualified to the play offs.

Loan to Everton
Atsu (left) playing for Everton in the Europa League match against Dynamo Kyiv on 19 March 2015

On 13 August 2014, Atsu joined fellow Premier League club Everton on loan until the end of the 2014–15 season.[11] He made his first appearance for the club 10 days later, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute for Kevin Mirallas in a 2–2 draw with Arsenal at Goodison Park.[12]

On 21 September 2014, Atsu made his first start in the league against Crystal Palace, which ended in a 2–3 home loss.[13] After his absence due to the Africa Cup of Nations, Atsu returned to Everton's lineup on 19 February 2015 in a Europa League match against BSC Young Boys, playing out the last five minutes after replacing hat-trick scorer Romelu Lukaku.[14] and came off the bench three days later to set up a late equaliser in a 2–2 draw at home to Leicester City.[15]

On 15 March 2015, in the match against Newcastle United, he came off the bench with five minutes remaining, and provided an assist to fellow substitute Ross Barkley for Everton's third goal of a 3–0 home victory.[16] Following Atsu's impact as a substitute in the above games, he was picked to start the second leg of a Europa League Round of 16 match away to Dynamo Kyiv on 19 March with regular right-winger Aaron Lennon cup-tied, with Everton leading 2–1 from the first leg. His team were eliminated after losing 5–2 on the night, he was withdrawn in the 65th minute,[17] and that was his final first-team appearance for Everton.[18]

Loan to Bournemouth

On 29 May 2015, Atsu was loaned to newly promoted Premier League team Bournemouth for the upcoming season, with club Chief Executive Neill Blake calling the deal "a huge coup".[19] He made his debut on 25 August in the second round of the League Cup, starting in a 4–0 win at Hartlepool United. Atsu's only other appearance was in the next round's victory at Preston North End; he did not feature in any Bournemouth matchday squad in the league and he was recalled from his loan by Chelsea on 1 January 2016.[20]

Loan to Málaga

On 24 January 2016, Atsu gave an interview with the BBC World Service in which he spoke about leaving Chelsea and his imminent transfer to Levante.[21] The next day, it was confirmed that he would be instead moving to Málaga on loan.[22] On 5 February 2016, Atsu made his debut in the starting eleven and scored in a 3–0 victory over Getafe CF.[23]

Newcastle United

On 31 August 2016, Atsu joined Newcastle United on a one-year loan deal with an option to buy clause in the contract.[24] On 13 September, his debut for the club came on as a substitute for Yoan Gouffran in the 61st minute in a 6–0 away victory against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, where he provided the assist to Aleksandar Mitrović to earn their fifth goal.[25] Atsu scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win against Rotherham United on 1 October,[26] followed by further goals against Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic.

In May 2017, Atsu signed a four-year deal to join Newcastle for £6.2 million.[27]

International career
Atsu on the ball in a friendly against Mali in Paris in March 2015

Atsu won his first senior cap for Ghana on 1 June 2012 against Lesotho, scoring in the process.[28] He was described by the BBC as an "excellent prospect",[29] whilst ESPN added he was "quick and technically impressive", and a potential future star for his national team.[30]

The following year, he was in the Ghanaian squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. He started the first match, a 2–2 draw against the DR Congo, and was a substitute in the following 1–0 win over Mali. He returned to the starting line-up in the last group match against Niger in Port Elizabeth, scoring the second goal of a 3–0 win which put his country into the quarter-finals as group winners.[31] Atsu featured in the rest of Ghana's matches as they came fourth, scoring in their penalty shootout elimination by Burkina Faso.[32]

Atsu was selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad,[33] starting in all the matches as Ghana were eliminated in the group stage.

At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Atsu scored twice in a 3–0 win over Guinea in the quarter-finals.[34] He helped the team to the final, where they lost in a penalty shootout against the Ivory Coast. At the end of the tournament, he was awarded with both the Player of the Tournament award, as well as the Goal of the Tournament award for his strike against Guinea.[35]

Personal life

Atsu is a devout Christian who shares Bible verses on social media.[36] He is married with two sons and a daughter.[37]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 25 January 2020[38]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rio Ave 2011–12 Primeira Liga 2761020—306
Porto 2012–13 Primeira Liga 17130108[lower-alpha 1]0291
Vitesse (loan) 2013–14 Eredivisie 28520—00305
Everton (loan) 2014–15 Premier League 5000107[lower-alpha 2]0130
Bournemouth (loan) 2015–16 Premier League 000020—20
Málaga (loan) 2015–16 La Liga 12200——122
Newcastle United (loan) 2016–17 Championship 3250030—355
Newcastle United 2017–18 Premier League 2821000—292
2018–19[39] Premier League 2813010—321
2019–20 Premier League 1803010—220
Total 10687050—1188
Career total 1942113011015023321
  1. Appearances in the Champions League
  2. Appearances in the Europa League

International
As of match played on 29 June 2019[40]
Ghana
YearAppsGoals
201272
2013132
2014111
2015123
201661
201780
201820
201960
Total659

International goals
Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first.[40]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.1 June 2012Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana Lesotho5–07–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.8 September 2012Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana Malawi1–02–02013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
3.28 January 2013Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Niger2–03–02013 Africa Cup of Nations
4.15 October 2013Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana Egypt6–16–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.10 September 2014Stade de Kégué, Lomé, Togo Togo3–23–22015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
6.1 February 2015Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea Guinea1–03–02015 Africa Cup of Nations
7.3–0
8.14 June 2015Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana Mauritius1–07–12017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
9.5 June 2016Stade Anjalay, Belle Vue Maurel, Mauritius Mauritius2–02–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Porto[38]

Newcastle United[38]

National

Ghana

Individual

  • Vitesse Player of the Year: 2013–14[42]
  • Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament: 2015[43]
  • Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015,[43] 2017[44]
  • Africa Cup of Nations Goal of the Tournament: 2015[43]

Notes

    References
    1. "Player shirt numbers for 20 Barclays Premier League clubs released". Premier League. 8 August 2015. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
    2. "Christian Atsu: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
    3. "Christian Atsu – The newest Black Star". Ghana Web. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
    4. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/feb/21/christian-atsu-newcastle-rafael-benitez
    5. "Benfica cruise past Rio Ave". PortuGOAL. 16 December 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
    6. Ayisi, Kojo. "Christian Atsu reflects on time at Portuguese giants FC Porto". Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
    7. "Christian Atsu: Chelsea sign Porto striker on five-year deal". BBC Sport. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    8. "Vitesse 1–2 Feyenoord". Soccerway. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    9. "Vitesse 1–2 Feyenoord". Soccerway. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    10. "Vitesse 3–1 Utercht". Soccerway. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    11. "Atsu Deal Complete". Everton. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
    12. Bevan, Chris (23 August 2014). "Everton 2–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    13. "Everton 2–3 Crystal Palace". Soccerway. 21 September 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    14. "Romelu Lukaku responded to recent fan criticism with a first Everton hat-trick in a fine Europa League round of 32 first-leg win over Young Boys". BBC Sports. 19 February 2015.
    15. "Everton 2–2 Leicester City". BBC Sport. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
    16. Dove, Ed (16 March 2015). "Atsu helps Everton to big Premier League victory over Newcastle United". Goal.com. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
    17. Reddy, Luke (19 March 2015). "Dynamo Kyiv 5–2 Everton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
    18. "Games played by Christian Atsu in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
    19. "Christian Atsu: Chelsea winger joins AFC Bournemouth on loan". BBC Sport. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
    20. "Chelsea recall Christian Atsu from loan and put him in first-team". Metro. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
    21. "Christian Atsu on his Levante transfer". BBC World Service. 24 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
    22. "Christian Atsu leaves Chelsea for Malaga on loan". Sky Sports. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
    23. "Juanpi and Charles inspire comfortable win for Malaga". ESPN. 5 February 2016.
    24. "Newcastle complete loan deal for Chelsea winger Christian Atsu". ESPN. 31 August 2016.
    25. "Queens Park Rangers 0–6 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. 14 September 2016.
    26. "Rotherham 0–1 Newcastle". BBC Sport. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
    27. "Chelsea winger Christian Atsu agrees to join Newcastle". SkySports. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
    28. "Atsu makes debut statement". Ghana Web. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
    29. Michael Oti Adjei (12 September 2012). "Ghana hails exciting new talent". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
    30. Atkins, Christopher (12 June 2013). "World Cup 2014: Ten potential breakout stars". ESPN FC. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
    31. Hughes, Ian (28 January 2013). "Ghana 3–0 Niger". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    32. Hughes, Ian (6 February 2015). "Burkina Faso 1–1 Ghana". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    33. "Ghana World Cup 2014 squad". The Daily Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
    34. Hughes, Ian (1 February 2015). "Ghana 3–0 Guinea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
    35. Jones, Neil (9 February 2015). "Everton FC's Christian Atsu named AFCON Player of the Tournament". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
    36. Ollie Baines (8 January 2017). "Newcastle United star, Christian Atsu – "I'm inspired by God who gives me strength"". Cross the Line. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
    37. Taylor, Louise (21 February 2019). "Christian Atsu: 'Sometimes what's happened to me seems like a miracle'". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
    38. Christian Atsu at Soccerway. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
    39. "Games played by Christian Atsu in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
    40. "Christian Atsu". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
    41. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    42. "Mason Mount becomes third Chelsea loanee to win Vitesse Player of the Year award". SB Nation. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
    43. "Orange AFCON 2015 Awards and Best XI". CAF. 12 February 2015.
    44. "Bassogog named Total Man of the Competition". CAF. 6 February 2017.
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