I won't allow fans to retire me – Paintsil

Ghana defender John Paintsil says he will not curtail his football career over fans criticism.

The 33-year-old who plays for South African side Maritzburg United has been one of the most accomplished performers for the Black Stars in the last ten years. But he has been frozen out of the team recently and left out of the country’s 2014 World Cup squad.

The former Fulham and Leicester City man is relishing the prospect of staging a return to the team at his age and says he has never been knocked down by fans criticism.

“I am a professional and have never been affected by criticism. The fans have the right to criticized but I have not been bordered at all, “he said. “No fan can retire me. Nobody can retire me. I will retire when I feel I can no longer carry on.

“I believe I have a lot of footballing in me and will continue to soldier on. I am not perturbed at all.”

Paintsil shot into prominence after he helped the country’s Under-20 team to clinch silver at the 2001 African Youth Championship in Argentina.

He made his Black Stars Nations Cup debut at the 2002 Cup of Nations held in Mali and has since not looked back.

The experienced right-back has played in five African Cup of Nations finals and regarded as one of the most consistent player in the Black Stars for the past ten years.

He is only two caps away from equaling Richard Kingson’s 90 appearances for the Black Stars.