Player Profile | Information |
---|---|
Name | Daniel Amartey |
Nationality | Ghanaian |
Date of Birth | 21st December, 1994 |
Club | Leicester City |
Position | Defender |
History of Daniel Amartey
Daniel Amartey was born on 21 December 1994 in Accra, Ghana. His outstanding football career began when he was just 16 years old. During a scouting trip to Africa, Magnus Pehrsson discovered his talent. At that time, Daniel was only involved in local Ghanaian football, playing for International Allies who featured in the second tier. Magnus had just been hired to manage Djurgårdens IF, and he was looking for ways to bolster his squad.
When Daniel turned 18, Magnus managed to secure his rights, and in 2011 and 2012, Daniel was allowed to play for Djurgårdens IF U21 team. He could travel from Ghana to Sweden for short periods, but later, he moved permanently. His debut happened in 2013 when he played against Umeå F.C. His manager trusted him for a league debut again in 2013, where he was fielded against Helsingborgs IF. Daniel had already exhibited exemplary performance at this early stage, and clubs like F.C. Kaiserslautern and F.C. Schalke were already scouting him.
Daniel Amartey in Ghana
Daniel Amartey’s Ghanaian career started back in 2012. He made his international debut against Nigeria while playing for the under-20 Ghanaian national team. In 2013, Daniel was also scheduled to participate in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. However, the Allsvenskan season in Sweden was also in place, and Djurgården was keen to keep him, meaning he could not travel to join his national team.
During the 2015 African Cup of Nations tournament, Amartey took part in group matches. The Black Stars could only manage a runners-up position. In the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, he played in six matches, lasting 90 minutes each. He was an instrumental figure in pushing Ghana to the fourth position overall. For this reason, he was featured in the CAF team of the tournament.
Daniel Amartey International Career
Daniel Amartey has had a successful national and international career where he has played for renowned clubs such as Djurgårdens IF and F.C Copenhagen. He currently plays for Leicester City, one of the top teams in the English Premier League.
Daniel Amartey Teams | Information |
---|---|
Team | Period |
Djurgårdens IF | 2013-2014 |
Copenhagen | 2014-2016 |
Leicester City | 2016- |
Djurgårdens IF
Amartey was discovered by Magnus Pehrsson, who offered him a chance to play in Sweden. This was his breakthrough when he was just playing for International Allies. He made his league debut in Sweden and attracted many other clubs to scout him. Some of the notable individual accolades include his first-ever goal, where Djurgårdens IF eventually lost to IFK Göteborg on penalties during the Svenska Cupen Final in 2013. Amartey was ranked 10th and 18th by the Expressen newspaper and Aftonbladet, respectively.
Being the first season in the Swedish league, such rankings for an 18-year-old were massive boosters to his career. At some point, Amartey was approached by Liverpool F.C for a possible move to the English Premier League, although the talks did not materialize.
Copenhagen
For just a fee of €2.5 million-plus, Amartey secured a move to F.C Copenhagen in July 2014. By 20th the same month, he was fielded for a match against Silkeborg IF, which marked his Superliga debut.
Leicester City
After a short stint at Copenhagen, Daniel Amartey secured a move to Leicester in 2016, joining the English Premier League for the first time. His transfer was around £6 million for a four and a half year contract. Surprisingly that year, Leicester went on to win the Premier League title, with Amartey having featured five times. His Premier League debut was marked by a 1-0 win over Norwich City.
Ordinarily, Daniel plays as a defender, but in the 2016-17 season, he was deployed alongside teammate Danny Drinkwater to play in the midfield position. was picked to make his debut against Club Brugge in the group stages, a match Leicester won 3-0. The first Premier League goal for Amartey came in December 2016. Leicester was away at Stoke City, and the hosts were leading 2-1. Amartey scored to secure a 2-2 draw towards the end of the game.
In 2017, after returning from an international assignment, Amartey featured in an F.A. Cup fourth round replay where he played for 120 minutes to help Leicester win 3-1 against Derby County. Unfortunately, he sustained an ankle injury in the 2018-19 season while playing against West Ham United. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Premier League
2021 has seen the resurgence of his form, with his manager, Brendan Rodgers trusting him in the heart of his defense. He has featured in several Premier League games, especially when defenders Johny Evans and Caglar Söyüncü were injured. His latest goal came on 6 March 2021 in a match between Leicester and Brighton & Hove Albion, where he headed in the winner to seal a 2-1 victory. At the start of the 2021-22 season, Amartey was part of the team that beat Manchester City to win the 2021 F.A. Community Shield.
FAQs about Daniel Amartey
Daniel Amartey was born in Accra, Ghana.
Daniel Amartey joined Leicester City in 2016, which is the club where he is currently playing.
He is a right-footer.
Pini Zahavi manages Amartey.
Amartey wears jersey number 18.
Amartey has several awards under his name, including 2 times Danish cup winner when playing for F.C. Copenhagen in 2014/15 and 2015/16. His F.C. Copenhagen team also won the Danish Championship in 2015/2016. At Leicester City, they won several titles, including English Champions in 2016, English F.A. Cup in 2021, and English Super Cup Winner in 2022.