Italian forward Mario Balotelli has said former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah and former Inter Milan teammate Sulley Muntari were his favourite Ghanaian players.
Balotelli, who was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents, grew up watching the Black Stars and admired several Ghana players.
He later played with Muntari at Inter Milan, where they won the UEFA Champions League in 2010 under coach Jose Mourinho. Balotelli also watched Appiah during his playing days at Juventus in Italy.
Although Balotelli chose to play for Italy, he said Appiah and Muntari had a big influence on him.
“I used to love Stephen Appiah. I used to love him then I played with Sulley Muntari. These two were the players I looked up to the most. Especially Sulley Muntari because we played together in Inter and Milan. He can shoot from anywhere,” he told beIN Sports.
The 35-year-old played for Italy at major tournaments, including the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup.
