Former Hearts of Oak defender, Robert Addo Sowah, considers himself fortunate to have completed his contract at the club without any issues, which is uncommon for many footballers both locally and internationally.
Last Wednesday, Hearts announced the mutual release of Sowah following the expiration of his contract.
In an exclusive interview with the Graphic Sports last Friday, Sowah expressed that if circumstances had allowed, he would have remained at the club until retirement, as he felt at home there.
Throughout his seven-year stint with the club, Sowah stood out as a committed and reliable defender with a patient personality.
Regarding how he managed the occasional misunderstandings that arose, he said, “It’s all in the mind. I psyched myself not to engage in any quarrel with any teammate, management member or supporter, and that helped me till today.”
He continued, “Of course, we are humans so definitely we shall disagree on issues and argue; but whenever it happened, I always remained calm and looked at what triggered that misunderstanding, and then tackle it from the roots.”
Recalling the past, Sowah, 29, revealed that during the 2017/2018 league season, he felt unwanted and almost succumbed to self-pity and self-doubt after spending several months on the bench without playing.
However, when he finally got the chance to play, he proved his worth, helping to solidify the leaking defense. He shared, “During Coach Frank Nuttal’s time, I was on the bench for a whole season without kicking a ball, and I felt so bad that I wanted to leave the club,” he recalled.
“So, one day, when we were going to play Inter Allies in the MTN FA Cup, I told myself that if I don’t get selected, I would leave the club. Fortunately, when the list came my name was in the starting line-up.
“Surprisingly, that day, I scored a goal and gave an assist to Joseph Esso to score. The fans became so happy that they demanded I should be featured in more matches. That’s how I became a constant starter in the team,” he added.
From that point on, Sowah displayed versatility at the club, excelling in both left-back and center-back positions due to his ability to read the game and distribute the ball effectively.
“Whenever we got a new coach, they underrated me, but when they gave me the chance, they were always proud of me,” he further narrated.
Since 2016, Sowah wholeheartedly served the club and was at some point appointed captain of the side. He won the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League title, the FA Cup, as well as the President’s Cup in 2022.
He joined Hearts from Division One side, Uncle T United, in 2016. As he departs Hearts, his management is currently working to secure a new contract for him.
