Chris Hughton leapt to the defense of Thomas Partey during his official unveiling ceremony as Ghana coach in Kumasi on Monday morning.
The Arsenal midfielder has come under a lot of criticism following Ghana’s early exit at the 2022 World Cup.
The 29 year old endured a difficult tournament as the Black Stars failed to make it to the knockout stage after finishing bottom of Group H.
Partey has often been accused by his naysayers of not being fully committed to the course of the national team.
However, Hughton believes former Atlético Madrid star’s importance to the Black Stars cannot be overlooked.
“Partey’s roles for both club and country are different from each other but key,” The 64 year old trainer noted.
“His role in the team is as a continuity player. He is not the type of player to expect to dribble past multiple players. His role is important to what the team does even if he doesn’t always stand out.”
The coach’s comments come ahead of Ghana’s crucial 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola on Thursday.
