André Ayew

Andre Ayew has spent his career carrying one of the heaviest names in African football, and for more than a decade he has worn it as Ghana's captain. A tireless winger and forward, he became the on-field leader of the Black Stars through two generations of the team.

Football family

He was born Andre Morgan Rami Ayew on 17 December 1989, the second son of the legendary Abedi Pele. Known at home as Dede, he grew up around the game alongside brothers Ibrahim and Jordan, both of whom also became Ghana internationals.

Club career

He began at Nania in Ghana before joining his father's old club, Marseille, as a teenager. He broke into the first team and, under Didier Deschamps, made more than 200 appearances and won back-to-back French trophies in 2010 and 2011. In 2015 he moved to Swansea City, scoring twelve goals in his debut Premier League season, then joined West Ham for a then-record fee for an African player before later spells back at Swansea and with Al Sadd in Qatar.

Ghana captain

He has been a fixture for the Black Stars since 2008, earning well over 100 caps. As a youth he captained Ghana's under-20 side to victory at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and he later inherited the senior armband, leading the country at multiple World Cups and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Legacy

Following his father into the game was a daunting inheritance, but Andre Ayew built a distinguished career on his own terms, and few players have given more years of service to the Ghanaian national team.