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The former Chelsea man tragically passed away following the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, but he had a career to be proud of.
On Saturday, February 18, 2023, the football world was hit with the sad news of the tragic passing of Ghana’s football star Christian Atsu.
The Ghanaian star was one of the victims of the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last week. Atsu, who plays for Hatayspor, was at home when the tragic incident happened.
Immediately after the earthquake hit, rescuers went on an extensive search for Atsu and other trapped victims.
Initially, there were unconfirmed reports that the Ghanaian had been found and was recovering in the hospital.
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However, Atsu’s agent, Nana Sechere, and his club Hatayspor dispelled the fake news but revealed rescuers were still looking for the Ghanaian.
A few days later, Sechere revealed Atsu’s shoes had been found but was still an ongoing search for him.
The news gave people hope, but the hope was dashed after Sechere confirmed on Saturday that Atsu’s body was found dead.
The update struck a dagger into the hearts of many people, who had been hoping for a positive update.
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However, while the outcome was not what fans all hoped for, it gave people, especially his family, closure. Also, it provides fans with the opportunity to celebrate his career, having gone under the radar during his time on earth.
Atsu’s nomadic career
Atsu’s football career kicked off at Feyenoord Ghana in 2009 before moving to Porto the same year.
He initially joined Porto’s youth team before moving up to the first team two years later. On his graduation from Porto’s youth team, Atsu was sent on a season-long loan to Rio Ave.
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The Ghana international returned to Porto in 2012 following his loan spell at Rio. Atsu played the 2012/2013 season with Porto before signing for Chelsea in the summer of 2013.
Although he never got enough playing time at Porto, Atsu showed enough promise to convince Chelsea to sign him.
Chelsea's unending loan spell
The 31-year-old scored one goal and provided four assists in 31 games for Porto before moving to Chelsea.
Atsu arrived at Chelsea as a young player with huge potential, but he never played a single game for the Blues, going out on different loan spells during his four years at the club.
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His first loan stint was with Vitesse, scoring five times and recording six assists in 30 games for the Dutch club.
Following his time at Vitess, Atsu returned to Chelsea but was sent out on loan again, this time at Everton.
His time at Goodison Park was largely underwhelming, with just 13 appearances to his name. After his time at Everton, Atsu joined another English club Bournemouth on loan. But his time with the Cherries was short, making just two appearances before returning to Chelsea in January 2015.
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On his return to Chelsea, Atsu joined Malaga on loan for the second half of the season. He made 12 appearances for the Spanish side, scoring two goals.
Despite showing his quality, Malaga did not take the option to sign Atsu permanently, meaning he returned to Chelsea.
Newcastle breakthrough
Atsu was sent out again on loan after returning to Chelsea, this time to Newcastle. It was at Newcastle, Atsu’s quality finally showed.
The Ghana international made 32 appearances in his first season at St James Park, scoring five goals and assisting another three.
His performances helped the Magpies win promotion back to the Premier League. Having impressed, Newcastle wasted no time in signing the Ghanaian permanently.
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Atsu made another 28 appearances in the Premier League for Newcastle before playing the same number in his third year at the club.
Overall, he made 121 appearances for the Magpies, with eight goals and ten assists to his name.
Atsu left Newcastle in 2021 after five years at the club to sign for Saudi Arabian club Al-Raed. His stay in Saudi was short, making just eight appearances before signing for Hatasypor in September 2022.
Before his death, Atsu had made just four appearances for Hatayspor, including the last game against Kasimpasa on February 5, a day before the tragic incident happened.
On the international scene, he was a consistent performer for Ghana. While he may not have the name or quality of players like Michael Essien and Asamoah Gyan, he was reliable for the Black Stars.
Atsu made won 64 caps for Ghana, scoring ten goals. Some of his memorable strikes for the Black Stars came against Egypt in 2013 and Guinea in 2015.
His best year for Ghana was in 2015, helping the Black Stars reach the Africa Cup of Nations final, where they lost to Ivory Coast.
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But despite the defeat, Atsu was recognised for his performance, winning the Player of the Tournament award and the Goal of the Tournament award for his strike against Guinea. He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, playing in all of Ghana’s games.
Atsu may not have had a world-class career, but he will always be remembered as a solid journeyman.
The Ghanaian’s performance in his last game as a footballer will live on forever after scoring a dramatic winner via a freekick in the seventh minute of added time.
Rest In Peace, Christian Atsu.
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