The path from Accra to Kelty is one seldom travelled.
However, Alfredo Agyeman has found a home away from home at New Central Park following a remarkable journey which included a trial spell with Italian giants Inter Milan.
Agyeman, 21, was born in Ghana but moved to Northern Italy with his family at the age of three.
Amid the strains of adapting to life on unfamiliar shores, Agyeman’s precocious talents on the football pitch shone through.
He was a revelation in the schoolboy ranks, leading to training stints with Virtus Entella — now in Serie C — and top-flight superpower Inter.
He even pulled on the famous blue-and-black jersey during trial matches with the Nerazzurri youth team.
“It was an amazing experience,” Agyeman told Courier Sport. “I was comfortable there [Inter], because I had been living in Italy, I knew the language and believed in my quality.
“I was training with Inter and got some chances to play matches with my age group.
“You would go there and train for a couple of days, then play a match. With a club like Inter Milan — even at the youth level — that is a great experience.
“Some of the players in my team are now in Serie C and Serie D (third and fourth tier). It is difficult to make it to the first-team there, and everyone has to take their own path.”
Setting course for Scotland
However, family would come first for Agyeman.
Faced with insurmountable challenges in Italy, parents Charles and Felicia made the life-altering decision to move ‘Alfie’ and his sister to Scotland in search of better opportunities.
And from the moment he arrived, his ability shone through.
Agyeman joined Motherwell in 2016 and would subsequently earn a full-time contract. Loans spells with Queen’s Park and East Kilbride followed.
However, by his own admission, Agyeman — a teenager in a new country — wasn’t ready to grasp his opportunity.
“You never know what is going to happen in football, so we needed to be sure of a better future,” Agyeman recalled of the move to Scotland. “My family needed to look for more opportunities.
“As soon as I arrived, I had a really good trial with Motherwell and I played through their age groups and went full-time.
“But so much is different — the lifestyle; the football. There is a lot for a young person to get used to.
“I had some difficulties and I was released. Now, I am older and I have experienced more things in life. I am punctual, professional. This is just natural maturing. I’m determined to learn every day and improve.”
Achieve
And Kelty are giving him that platform
Agyeman has become a fans’ favourite due to his all-action style, blistering pace and infectious work ethic and, while it may be a world away from the San Siro, he is loving life in this corner of Fife.
A star performance from this week's #TOTW Star Man! 🌟
Alfredo Agyeman – ⚽️⚽️🅰️#cinchL2 | @KeltyHeartsFC pic.twitter.com/sUpsE5xQ1i
— SPFL (@spfl) August 31, 2021
“This club has given me the chance to achieve something,” added Agyeman, who has notched four goals and an assist in 18 outings for the Maroon Machine.
“I know how much the gaffer [Kevin Thomson] believes in me and I want to repay him on the pitch.
“I feel at home here. The fans, especially, are amazing with me and every time I am on the field, I want to do everything for them. I have a lot of gratitude to them.”
