Black Stars striker Jordan Ayew has named some former national team players including his father Abedi Pele as ones who have served as motivation for his successful football career.

Jordan made his first senior appearance for Ghana on 5 September 2010, in a 3–0 2012 AFCON qualification match win against Swaziland.

He scored his first and second international goals in a 2014 world cup qualification match win against Lesotho at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. He was named in the Black Stars provisional 25-man squad for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking exclusively to Onua Sports, the Swansea forward heaped praise on his father Abedi Pele and some former national stars who have all served as motivation for him as a player “Well, I have to mention that the first was my dad as I watched all his games and his clips. “There are a lot of players here in Ghana like Tornado, Michael and Sulley who I grew up watching them play.

“If we are to go international, there are a lot of great African players who have made it like Samuel Etoo, Diouf and others who have put the continent of Africa high.

“I like to always look at what Ghanaians have done and I think in my time when I started to play we had Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, John Mensah and Hans Adu Sarpei, who are the people I looked up to and today most of them are not in the Black Stars anymore but are behind supporting us”.

He called for total support for the next generation of Black Stars players stating they will be the future of Ghana football in the years to come.