John Paintsil facts for kids
Paintsil with Fulham in 2009
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Paintsil | ||
| Date of birth | 15 June 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Berekum, Brong-Ahafo, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.78m | ||
| Playing position | Full back, defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Kaizer Chiefs (assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1999 | Berekum Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2000 | Berekum Arsenal | 0 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Liberty Professionals | 10 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Berekum Arsenal | 12 | (1) |
| 2002–2004 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 46 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 46 | (4) |
| 2006–2008 | West Ham United | 19 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Fulham | 75 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Leicester City | 6 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 9 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Santos | 17 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Maritzburg United | 34 | (0) |
| Total | 274 | (5) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001–2013 | Ghana | 89 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2016– | Kaizer Chiefs (assistant manager) | ||
|
|||
John Paintsil (born on 15 June 1981) is a former professional footballer from Ghana. He played as a full back or defensive midfielder. After retiring as a player, he became an assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa.
Paintsil played for many clubs, including West Ham United and Fulham in England. He also represented his country, Ghana, in many international matches. His family name is Paintsil, but it was accidentally written as "Pantsil" on his birth certificate and passport.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Early Days in Ghana
John Paintsil started his football journey in his home country, Ghana. He played for youth teams like Berekum Arsenal and Liberty Professionals. He also had a short time playing for a team in Poland called Widzew Łódź.
Playing in Israel
In 2002, Paintsil moved to Israel and joined Maccabi Tel Aviv. He was part of the team that won the Israeli league championship in 2002–03. He also played in the UEFA Champions League, which is a big European club competition.
Later, in 2004, he moved to a rival team, Hapoel Tel Aviv. With Hapoel, he helped them win the Israeli State Cup in 2006.
Time in England
After playing well in the 2006 World Cup, John Paintsil joined West Ham United in England. He was recommended by another player, Yossi Benayoun. Paintsil showed his skills during pre-season games and signed with the club in August 2006.
He played 24 games for West Ham, but many of them were as a substitute. In 2008, he moved to another English club, Fulham.
At Fulham, Paintsil became a regular player in the team. He helped Fulham finish seventh in the league in the 2008–09 season, which was a great achievement for the club. He also played a key role when Fulham reached the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2010. He left Fulham in 2011.
In July 2011, Paintsil joined Leicester City. He played seven games for them before leaving the club in May 2012.
Later Career and Retirement
After his time in England, Paintsil returned to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel for one season in 2012.
He then moved to South Africa, playing for Santos in 2013 and Maritzburg United in 2014. He retired from playing football on 24 June 2016.
International Football for Ghana
John Paintsil was a very important player for the Ghana national team, known as the "Black Stars."
- He was part of the Ghana Under 21 team that finished second in the FIFA World Youth Championship in 2001.
- He played in the African Cup of Nations in 2002, 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2013.
- Paintsil also represented Ghana at the 2004 Olympics in Greece.
- He played in all of Ghana's matches at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Ghana reached the second round before being knocked out by Brazil.
- During the 2006 World Cup, after Ghana scored against the Czech Republic, Paintsil celebrated by waving an Israeli flag. This action caused some discussion in his home country, Ghana, and in the Arab world. The Ghanaian Football Association later said he was "naive."
- He was also a key player in the Ghanaian team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Ghana narrowly lost to Uruguay in a penalty shootout. He played in all five of Ghana's games at that tournament.
Life After Playing
Becoming a Coach
After retiring as a player, John Paintsil became an assistant manager at Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa on 27 June 2016.
Personal Details
John Paintsil is known for some interesting habits. Sometimes, during matches in winter, he would cut off one sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt, leaving one arm bare. He once said this came from a dream where he played very well with one long and one short sleeve.
In September 2024, Paintsil was involved in a car accident with Otto Addo and Fatau Dauda. Their vehicle was damaged when it avoided a head-on crash. The Ghana Football Association confirmed that all three were in stable condition after the incident.
Career Statistics
International Appearances
| Paintsil – appearances for Ghana | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
 Ghana |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total | 89 | 0 | |
| Correct as of 6 February 2013 | |||
Awards and Achievements
Player Awards
Maccabi Tel Aviv
- Israeli Premier League: 2002–03 (Winner)
Hapoel Tel Aviv
- Israel State Cup: 2006 (Winner)
Fulham
- UEFA Europa League runner up: 2009–10
Ghana National Team
- Africa Cup of Nations Bronze Medal: 2008 (Third Place)
Individual Awards
- CAF Team of the Year: 2009
Images for kids
-
Paintsil with Fulham in 2009
-
Paintsil playing for West Ham United in 2008
-
Paintsil with Fulham in 2008
-
Paintsil playing for Leicester City
-
Paintsil playing for Ghana's national team during the FIFA World Cup 2010
See also
In Spanish: John Paintsil para niños
