Samuel Inkoom, a former FC Basel defender, advises young footballers to be careful and properly analyse whatever contract they are offered during their career.
The 34-year-old right-back, who spent several years playing for major European teams, stated that some offers may not benefit players, but they may take them out of ignorance and subsequently regret it.
While he did not name any specific scenarios in his career, he did say that he wishes he had someone to counsel him on some issues.
“There are decisions I took alone which would have been better if I had gotten an adviser to give their opinion because such decisions also cost me a lot,” he said on Sports Ultras on 3fm.
“But I will just advise them [footballers] that they shouldn’t sign contracts they do not understand. So far as a team wants you, you can take about four days to read and understand the contract presented before signing. You shouldn’t be in a rush because there are contracts that can make you cry after signing. There are certain things they could put in the contract which is beyond the normal salary,” he further explained.
“I would use this opportunity to advise the young ones to be mentally strong before travelling overseas because it isn’t as easy as they see it on TV.”
Inkoom was a key member of the Black Satellites team that won Ghana’s first and only U-20 World Cup in 2009. He also played in the knockout games for Ghana at the 2010 World Cup, when Ghana defeated the United States in the round of 16 and lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals.
He was also a member of the 2014 World Cup team but did not appear in any games.
