Arsenal playmaker Thomas Partey has confirmed that he has undergone a name change, but his Gunners shirt will remain the same.
Since making a move to the Emirates for £45 million in 2020, the Ghana international has become a favourite with the fans. He’s taken the Premier League by storm and captivated fans with his tremendous skills and ability to pick the perfect pass. In February, he won Arsenal‘s Player of the Month award, and followed that with a headed goal against Leicester City.
Having made 49 appearances so far, he’s become an integral part of what makes Mikel Arteta‘s side tick. Despite changing his name, he has kept the same name for football.
Thomas Partey name change
The North London side’s player has decided to go by his Muslim title ‘Yakubu’. The footballer recent married his now-wife, Sara Bella and changed his name for her. Partey recently underwent the name change in his native Ghana. He completed his conversion to Islam, after being born into a Christian family in the African country’s eastern region.
In a video posted by journalist Nana Aba Anamoah, as quoted by Pulse, he joked: “I have a girl I love, I know my side chicks will leave me, but it’s no problem.
“I grew up with Muslims so at the end of the day, it’s the same thing. I’m already married, and my Muslim name is Yakubu.”
The midfielder has been an integral part of the Gunners side throughout much of the 2021/22 season. But that wasn’t the case for the whole campaign. In December, he gave himself a rating of four out of 10 for his Arsenal performances.
From then onwards, however, he began to improve. And Arteta has noticed as much. Speaking in March, the Arsenal boss said: “I think when you are honest with yourself, it’s a great starting point. When you assess yourself in the way Thomas did publicly, it’s a really rare thing to do.
“He did it because he believed that was the case, that he wants to give much more to the team and to the club. And probably that something has clicked again. Probably the fact that he’s been injury-free. It’s a massive thing in there, but as well he’s probably more fit because he’s doing things better.”
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