Al-Sadd’s new signing Andre Ayew expressed his satisfaction with the club’s preseason preparations and also spoke of his ambition to win every title in the upcoming season.
Ayew shared his thoughts with the club’s website in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the first team squad’s training camp in Barcelona.
“Everything is great,” said Ayew. “I feel good because the players made me feel good. The players who have been here for a long time, they all accommodated me well.”
“They included me in the family and that’s very important for me because I feel before you are able to perform on the pitch, you have to feel good. The players are making me feel welcome and I want to thank them for the welcome they gave me.”
He added: “I’m still getting to know everybody, getting to know how training is going, the tactics, what the coach wants. But I am really sure everything will be fine. It is a process, but from what I’ve seen so far, everything has been great. The training, the fun between the players, everything has been great. I’m happy and this is what’s important for me. Now I have to get to my 100% and deliver on the field.”
As for the impact his father Abedi Pele had on his career, Ayew said: “My father had a big influence, not only in my career but also in my personal life. He is my idol and someone I look up to and have great admiration for. I think he gave me a lot, advice in the game: how to compose yourself, how to be patient, and to try to make the best decisions, to stay in a club or to move.”
“I learned so much from him and I think he has a big role in the career that I have had until now.”
The 31-year-old also spoke of his decision to sign for Al-Sadd, saying: “To be honest, Al Sadd is a club I know and I have followed for a long time. My father played here and this is the club that gave him the opportunity to leave Ghana. So it’s a club that I always followed. I followed the players who played here: Raul, Mamadou Niang, Abdelkader Keita – a lot of players played for this great club.”
“As soon as I was informed that Al-Sadd was interested, I thought straightaway that it was a very good idea for me. For me, it’s the best club in the Gulf; I watched their style of play and it’s the best club here.”
He continued: “It’s also a club which I have a personal history with due to my father
I followed the club when I was young because my father always followed the club’s results. It wasn’t a surprise for me, I was very happy and proud, but I had to take some time to make the decision, because I had a few offers from the Gulf and from Europe, so I had to take time to make the right decision.”
“But as soon as I spoke to the coach Xavi, I knew this was the right place for me for my future. Then I took the decision to come and everything happened fast.”
When asked about his ambition while playing for Al-Sadd, Ayew said: “When you play for Al-Sadd, you know you have to win everything. We will try to do what we did last season – to win every trophy. And then next year, we will have the chance to play in the Champions League. We will take it step by step and for me, it’s important now to continue with what we started.”
“I hope I can be part of the winning team this season also inshaAllah. We will try and win maximum games and bring trophies to the club, and also try and prepare for the big tournament – the Champions League.”
Ayew also praised Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup. “From what I have seen, the preparations have been great. They’re top class.” he said.
The Ghana national team captain added: “I think Qatar is more than ready for the World Cup. They have the stadiums, the training facilities and hotels. There is everything here for the World Cup to go perfectly. I know it’s going to be a great World Cup. I hope Ghana will be able to qualify and I will be able to play the World Cup at my home in Doha.”
Ayew concluded the interview with a message for the Al-Sadd fans: “I will give everything I have for the team and we will do everything to make sure that we bring you trophies, and make you proud and happy. InshaAllah, by the end of this season, we will all enjoy like how we did last season.”
