Clubs jostle for his signatures as a player in the transfer world but long before that, schools jostled for the right to educate Thomas Teye Partey, the Black Stars midfielder.

This ‘fight’ for Partey years back was between two secondary schools within the Tema Metropolis, they were Tema Secondary School and Chemu Secondary School.

The episode was revealed by Mr. Seshie Castus, a teacher and sports master at Partey’s alma mater, Ashaiman No. 2 JHS, in an interview with Accra-based Metro TV.

He revealed that whilst under their tutelage, Partey was excellent in the class and on-field as a sportsman.

“When we were here, he wasn’t able to take part in our inter-districts, the only one we had before he left, because he was then playing to be selected into an academy so he didn’t play with us.

“When he finished JHS, he was supposed to be taken up by Temasco because of his sporting background but they were struggling with Chemu Secondary School,” he said, adding that as his JHS teachers they advised that he returns to Ashaiman to continue his education.

He added that amid the Temasco vs. Chemu fight, “we advised him to come back to Ashasec (Ashaiman Secondary) so that he will be able to finish his SSS and go on to play his football.”

He said it was in his second year in Ahaiman Secondary that he informed his class teacher that an agent wanted to send him to Spain, “when he contacted me, I said this is good but on condition that he will continue with his education,” the teacher stressed.

Partey went on to play at Madrid side, Atletico from where he transferred to North London side Arsenal, his current club side. Partey is an integral part of the Black Stars and is expected to play a key role in the team’s World Cup campaign.

SARA/PEN