Nii Lamptey In The Gulf?

Unconfirmed sources indicate Nii Odartey Lamptey is plying his trade with Al Nasr in Dubai. The midfielder played for Shandong in China in the 2002 season, and was held up in Ghana due to the SARS-delayed 2003 Chinese season. Rumor had it he was released from his contract, but he denied that in an interview in Accra in the summer

In 1990, he took the World Youth stage by storm and was compared to soccer legend, Pele of Brazil and was expected to become the greatest Ghanaian player advancing past Abedi Ayew Pele. Instead he has become the most travelled, playing in as many as seven European countries - Belgium, Holland, England, Italy, Turkey, Germany and Portugal - South America, - Argentina - and until recently Asia, with Shandong in China.

Lamptey was 15 when he made his debut for Dutch club Anderlecht. But before he was 20, it was clear Lamptey would not become the world-class player many expected him to be. He wound up bouncing between clubs in Europe and South America.

He started his career as a teenage sensation at Anderlecht and later played at PSV Eindhoven in The Netherlands and in England with Aston Villa and Coventry City.

But Lamptey's career has been in freefall since with unsuccessful spells at clubs in Italy, Turkey, Argentina and Portugal. His last appearance for Ghana came in the 1996 African Nations Cup finals in South Africa.

Odartey made his full debut for Ghana in 1991 against Nigeria in African Cup Qualifiers at Lagos. He started as an u17, helping Ghana to qualify in 1988 for the World Championships in Scotland, 1989.