Former Ghana captain Stephen Appiah believes his nomination by coach Kwesi Appiah into his backroom staff for the 2014 World Cup is simply the end product of his years of toil and dedication to the Black Stars.

The 33-year-old is the first to be nominated into a planned support staff for Appiah at June’s World Cup in Brazil.

The ex-Juventus man is expected to be joined by other experts in coaching, medicine and administration to play key behind-the-scenes role before and during the tournament.

And the former Black Stars captain who led the side to two successive World Cup qualifications believes his nomination by coach Kwesi Appiah is a deserved reward for his hard work for the national team during his active days.

“When I heard the news that Kwesi Appiah recommended me in one of his interviews I was really happy but I think that the seeds that I planted I am harvesting it now,” he told GHANAsoccernet.com.

“Because I planted it [the seeds] with my heart and I don’t know the thing about Stephen Appiah that everybody is talking for me to be with the team.” The former Fernabahce midfielder has welcomed his inclusion into the Black Stars setup in line with the modern trend in world football where more ex national stars are involved.

“The other countries are doing it,” he adds.

“People sometimes ask questions I don’t understand. You see the [Zinedine] Zidane’s doing the same thing and we praise them so we should praise our own.”