Christian Atsu facts for kids
Atsu with Ghana in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Christian Atsu Twasam | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 January 1992 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ada Foah, Ghana | |||||||||||||||
| Date of death | c. 6 February 2023 (aged 31) | |||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Antakya, Turkey | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.65 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Feyenoord Fetteh | ||||||||||||||||
| Cheetah | ||||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | Newcastle United | 75 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Al Raed | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Hatayspor | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 207 | (23) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2019 | Ghana | 65 | (9) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Christian Atsu Twasam (born January 10, 1992 – died February 6, 2023) was a professional footballer from Ghana. He mainly played as a winger, which means he played on the sides of the field. He could also play as an attacking midfielder or a left back.
Atsu started his football journey with Porto in Portugal. He also spent a season playing for Rio Ave on a temporary deal called a loan. In 2013, he joined Chelsea for about £3.5 million. Chelsea then loaned him to several other clubs. These included Vitesse Arnhem, Everton, AFC Bournemouth, and Málaga.
After playing for Newcastle United on loan in the 2016–17 season, he joined them permanently in May 2017. After his four-year contract ended, he played for Al Raed in Saudi Arabia. Later, he moved to Hatayspor in Turkey. Sadly, he passed away at age 31 in the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.
Christian Atsu was also a key player for the Ghana national team. He played 65 games for his country between 2012 and 2019. He played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped Ghana finish second in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. In that tournament, he was named the Player of the Tournament. He also won the award for the Goal of the Tournament.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Christian Atsu was born in Ada Foah, Ghana. He grew up in a family with ten children, including his twin sister. His father worked as a fisherman and farmer.
Atsu started his football training at the Feyenoord Football Academy in Ghana. He later attended the West African Football Academy. After that, he joined Cheetah FC, a football club in Kasoa.
Club Career
Porto
Atsu joined Porto in Portugal when he was 17 years old. In May 2011, he was called up to the first team. However, he did not play in that match.
For the 2011–12 season, Atsu was sent on loan to Rio Ave. This meant he played for Rio Ave temporarily. He played his first game for them in August 2011. In December 2011, he scored his first goal for Rio Ave against Benfica.
He returned to Porto for the 2012–13 season. He played in nine league games and helped Porto win the national championship. This was their third win in a row.
Chelsea and Loans
On September 1, 2013, Atsu signed a five-year contract with Chelsea. He was immediately loaned to Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands for the rest of the season.
Playing for Vitesse
On October 6, 2013, Atsu made his debut for Vitesse as a substitute. He helped set up a goal in that game. On October 19, he started his first game for the team. On November 9, he scored his first goal for Vitesse from a penalty kick.
Overall, Atsu played 30 games and scored 5 goals for Vitesse. The team finished 6th in their league.
Playing for Everton
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On August 13, 2014, Atsu joined Everton on loan for the 2014–15 season. He played his first game for Everton ten days later. He came on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Arsenal.
Atsu started his first league game for Everton on September 21, 2014. After playing in the Africa Cup of Nations, he returned to the team in February 2015. He helped set up a late goal in a 2–2 draw against Leicester City.
In March 2015, he came off the bench against Newcastle United. He provided an assist for Everton's third goal in a 3–0 win. He played his last game for Everton in a Europa League match.
Playing for Bournemouth
On May 29, 2015, Atsu was loaned to Bournemouth. He made his debut in a League Cup match in August. He only played two games for Bournemouth and did not appear in any league matches. Chelsea called him back from his loan in January 2016.
Playing for Málaga
On January 24, 2016, Atsu was loaned to Málaga in Spain. On February 5, 2016, he made his debut for Málaga. He also scored a goal in their 3–0 win over Getafe CF.
Newcastle United
On August 31, 2016, Atsu joined Newcastle United on a one-year loan. He made his debut on September 13, helping set up a goal in a big 6–0 win. Atsu scored his first goal for Newcastle on October 1. He scored more goals against Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic.
In May 2017, Atsu signed a permanent four-year deal with Newcastle for £6.2 million. He left the club when his contract ended.
Al-Raed and Hatayspor
On July 17, 2021, Atsu joined Al-Raed in Saudi Arabia. Due to injuries, he only played eight games for them.
On September 6, 2022, Atsu signed with Hatayspor, a club in Turkey. He played three league games and one cup game. He scored his only goal for Hatayspor on February 5, 2023. This was the day before the earthquake that tragically took his life.
International Career
Christian Atsu played his first game for the Ghana national team on June 1, 2012. He even scored a goal in that game. Experts described him as a "great talent" and a "future star" for his country.
In 2013, he was part of Ghana's squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored a goal in a 3–0 win against Niger. This win helped Ghana reach the quarter-finals. Ghana finished fourth in the tournament.
Atsu was also chosen for the 2014 FIFA World Cup team. He started in all of Ghana's matches, but the team was eliminated in the group stage.
At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Atsu scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Guinea. He helped Ghana reach the final, where they lost to the Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout. After the tournament, he received two special awards. He was named the Player of the Tournament and won the Goal of the Tournament award.
Atsu was also part of the Team of the Tournament for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana finished fourth in that competition. He was also called up for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Personal Life
Christian Atsu was a very religious person. He often shared Bible verses on social media. He was known for his kindness and generosity. He was an ambassador for "Arms Around the Child," an organization that helps disadvantaged children. He also helped many Ghanaians who were in jail for minor offenses by paying their bail.
Atsu was married to Marie-Claire Rupio. They had two sons and one daughter.
Death
On February 6, 2023, Christian Atsu went missing after a big 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. People feared he was trapped under the rubble of a building. Atsu had planned to leave Turkey just hours before the earthquake. However, he decided to stay with his club after scoring a winning goal the day before.
On February 18, his agent confirmed that Atsu's body was found in the rubble of the building where he lived. He was 31 years old.
His former club, Newcastle United, honored him at their game on February 18. They held a minute of applause before the match. Atsu's wife and children were there. Other Premier League games also paid tribute to him. The Premier League shared their sadness on social media.
His body was flown from Turkey back to his family in Ghana on February 20.
Honours
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2012–13
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2012
Newcastle United
- EFL Championship: 2016–17
Ghana
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2015
Individual Awards
- Vitesse Player of the Year: 2013–14
- Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament: 2015
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015, 2017
- Africa Cup of Nations Goal of the Tournament: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Christian Atsu para niños
Images for kids
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Atsu with Ghana in 2015 (from Infobox)
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Atsu (left) playing for Everton in 2015
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Atsu playing for Newcastle in 2019
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Atsu on the ball in a friendly against Mali in 2015
