Former Ghanaian footballer, John Paintsil has opened up on a poignant and interesting childhood experience that made him swear never to taste any product with an element of alcohol.

John Paintsil recounted on Angel TV that he made the personal pledge after spotting a drunk friend of his father in a gutter.

As naïve as Paintsil was then, he asked his father why his good friend had found a resting place in the dirty gutter and the response from his father made him promise never to taste alcohol.

John Paintsil is happy that he has stuck by that principle despite the temptations that come with being a successful footballer.

He disclosed that it is one of the personal discipline principles he had to adopt in order to enjoy the success he had in his career.

“I saw the father of one my friends lying in the gutter after he got drunk and I asked my father why is he in that situation and my father said it was because he was drunk. I made a promise to myself that I was never going to drink alcohol and to date, I have never tasted alcohol.

He concluded, “There comes a time in life when you are able to afford all the things you want but you need to be self-discipline.”

John Paintsil is one of Ghana's revered footballers whose defensive prowess and affable nature made him a fans’ favourite.

Aside from playing in over five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, John Paintsil featured in the first two of Ghana’s four appearances at the World Cup.

In the 2006 and 2010 World Cup tournaments, Paintsil was a prominent feature in Ghana’s teams and excelled quite well in both tournaments.

His club career saw him play for Fulham, Leicester City, Kaizer Chiefs, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and West Ham United, among others.

After hanging his boots, Paintsil has ventured into football coaching and administration. He is the owner of the John Paintsil Football Academy.

He is currently undergoing the CAF license B course.