The 27-year-old who joined the Stamford Bridge club from Porto for £3.5 million on a five-year deal was soon considered as surplus to requirement at the club and was taking on loan to clubs such as Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth and Malaga.
Atsu was finally rescued by Newcastle United in 2016 where he was on a one-year loan deal but made his switch permanent by signing a four-year deal worth £6.2m after he impressed at the St. James Park.
At Chelsea, the winger who got very limited play time was criticised for rushing to join a big club like the Blues when he could have progressed in his career steadily from a lower club.
But the Ada Foah-born player believes he took the right decision to join Chelsea and has not regretted in that decision because he sees it as a privilege to have joined them.
“I don’t regret going to Chelsea – it was a privilege to be their player,” he says, firmly. “And, eventually, it led me to Newcastle,” he noted.
The player said he was happy to have made the switch to the Magpies and how football has generally changed his life.
“I’m very happy at Hillsong and very happy in Newcastle,” he says. “Football changed my life completely; sometimes what’s happened seems like a miracle but it’s enabled me to help my community and my family.
“My faith is the most important thing in my life. I know I’m one of the lucky people God has blessed. I’m very lucky and privileged to be in this position. I had nothing and now I’ve got too much so I have to give something back.”
“I donate often, so they can buy food and stuff,” says Atsu, who vividly remembers sharing a cramped bedroom with his mother, twin sister – now a nurse – and four other siblings. “At the moment we’re building a school in Ghana. About 300 children will attend, I want everyone to have the chance of education”, Atsu told the Guardian. Read Full Story
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