Accra Hearts of Oak legend, Joe Debrah has spoken about his indebtedness to the Phobians took care of him during his Secondary School Education in the late 1980s.
Joe Addo who played for the Black Stars during his time at Accra Hearts of Oak joined the Phobians at a teenager from lower tie side Annor Warriors while he was a student at Tema Secondary School.
He revealed in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV on YouTube that despite getting his big break through in his footballing career, Joe Addo said he remained focus with his books and Hearts of Oak also paid critical attention to his education by paying for his fees till he finished school.
“While at Secondary School, I was actively playing for Hearts of Oak. Hearts of Oak paid my school fees at Tema Secondary School through the support of former Chairman Paul Kunkey. I joined Hearts as a youngster where they picked me from Annor Warriors. Whenever we go camping, they do their own thing while I focus on reading my notes. This caught the attention of one of my teammates who asked why I kept reading my books always while others were busy, then I told him I had exams to write”, he told Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV.
“He was surprised by my actions so through that, the issue was brought before Paul Kunkey. One day, I was sacked from school and when I joined the team for camping, I did not read my books any more. Kunkey asked me why I had stopped and I narrated everything to him. The next day, we went to Tema Secondary School and fortunately for me, the principal of the school was a staunch fan of Hearts of Oak. I was in my second year then, so Kunkey said from then day to the day I will complete, Hearts of Oak will foot all my bills”, he added.
After leaving Hearts of Oak, Joe Addo played for several international clubs inclcuding Cagliari, VFB Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Sparta Rotterdam, Belenenses, Ethnikos Piraeus, Tampa Bay Mutiny, Metro Stars in the United States and Kitchee in Hong Kong.
