I hurt so much for years but now feel proud': John Quansah on the pain of a football career ruined by injury

"I'm an adult now, John says. It's time to look at the past differently. When I look at the trophies now, I don't just feel pain. I am grateful too for those beautiful years. Of course, he didn't fulfil his big dream. But not everyone can say they have played for Ajax. He has every reason to be proud, to look back at that time with satisfaction."

"Together with his wife and five-year-old son, he lives in a suburb of Obuasi, Ghana's mining stronghold. Outside, chickens and goats wander through the streets. A narrow stream winds between the houses. Banana trees stretch toward the sky. Music pours from homes with corrugated iron roofs, while women crouch out front, washing clothes in large plastic tubs. John's house is around 30 square meters."

"John works in construction and earns 80 Ghanaian cedi per day, about 5. His wife sells hairpieces and flip-flops by the roadside. Some days she doesn't sell a single thing. With inflation rising sharply, it's hard to make ends meet."

John Quansah, a former youth player at Ajax, lives in a small 30-square-meter house in Obuasi, Ghana with his wife and five-year-old son. After years of keeping his three youth tournament trophies hidden in a cupboard, he recently mounted them in a glass display case on his living room wall. The trophies represent achievements from competitions in Belgium, including awards for best player and sportsmanship. Now working in construction for minimal daily wages while his wife sells hairpieces and flip-flops, John has shifted his perspective on his athletic career. Rather than viewing his inability to become a professional footballer as failure, he expresses gratitude for the opportunity to have played for Ajax and the beautiful experiences from those years.

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