Notes

How are you? Where are you now?

• ⁠Everything is great! I'm in Ghana, resting with my family.

Do you miss football?

• ⁠Madly!

People in Russia often mention you. Do you remember Ufa?

• ⁠Of course! It was great! I had a great time in Russia. That was the best period of my career.

Even so?

• ⁠Everything was great there: the club, the fans, the city. If I had the chance to come back, I would certainly do it!

How did you spend your quarantine?

• ⁠It was very hard. Although the situation with coronavirus in Ghana is not as serious as in Europe, still - it was not the best time. I spent all my time at home, with my family.

Statistically, the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is the most effective. If you were offered to be vaccinated with it, would you agree?

• ⁠Of course I would! I love Russia. If you want it, send it to me!

Let's go back to 2014. How did the offer from Ufa come?

• ⁠One of my agents from Ghana said that a team from Russia was interested in me. I consulted with my friends who live in your country: they said - I won't have any problems. Then I talked to the boss of Ufa.

Gazizov?

• ⁠Yes, he really wanted me on the team. They made me a good offer and I accepted. Before that I had never played outside England, and going to Russia then was not easy at all. But it was exactly what I wanted.

Did they offer you a lot of money?

• ⁠No, this story is more about love and respect than money. I really liked it at Ufa, I was a very important player for them, this club gave me a lot. Everything was great, I got on well with my teammates. In addition, Ufa turned out to be a beautiful city.

Before coming to Ufa, you played in the same team with a Russian.

• ⁠Arshavin? A very good man and a football player. I have a great relationship with him. We haven't seen each other for many years, but this is one of the best people I've met in my life. I remember that Andriy always smiled and was happy regardless of whether he played or not. He and I were friends, we joked a lot. In the locker room, our seats were next to each other.

What did you know about Russia before you came here?

• ⁠That it's very, very cold there. And also that the girls are very beautiful, just fantastic. I set myself two goals: to find out whether it's really cold and whether the girls are beautiful.

And what did you find out?

• ⁠Well, yes, it is cold, ha ha. In Ufa, I woke up in the morning and I was freezing. I missed the sun so much. In Ghana it shines every day, it's always hot. My skin got used to the sun. In England it's cool, too, but not like in Russia.

Wait a minute. You used to come to training in winter in flip-flops in Ufa.

• ⁠I like to do different things. Sometimes I act like a normal person, sometimes like a crazy person. Every day is different, so I'm never bored. And I got used to the cold weather over time.

And what about the girls?

• ⁠They are definitely better in Ufa than in London!

And what else is better there?

• ⁠Pizza! It's very tasty in Ufa.

What things do you miss, apart from girls?

• ⁠Besides girls? Nothing - just them, ha-ha. And seriously, I really miss my friends. I'd really like to see them.

Are you in touch with anyone from that team?

• ⁠Sometimes with Azamat Zaseev, with Pavel Alikin. But it's more difficult with Pavel, he doesn't speak English. I don't communicate with them as often as I would like, but I'm in touch with Sergey [Tyrtyshny - Sport24's commentary] and most of the staff.

What did you do in your free time in Ufa?

• ⁠Playing PlayStation, talking to family and friends on the phone, hanging out - yes yes - with beautiful girls and drinking vodka with them, ha ha.

You really don't get bored.

• ⁠I had a lot of crazy moments! One time before a game I went out to hang out. No, don't think I'm an alcoholic, but I decided to have a few drinks. I think it was vodka. I fell asleep in the restaurant and slept for seven hours. In the evening someone came up to me and said I had to go, and I was very sleepy. That's just one of the stories. Some of them I can't tell, haha.

What happened next?

• ⁠Someone asked me to take a cab. But I was very drunk and could not give my address. They tried to wake me up for a very long time: "left-right", "left-right" (Frimpong also said these words in Russian - Sport24). After two hours the cab driver said: "This is ... [the end!]!" Eventually they took my phone and called one of the Russians. They came and picked me up.

We see you haven't forgotten the Russian words. Which ones do you still remember?

• ⁠"**" [kapets], "bitch *** [blin]", "fuck you", and "smoked". There's a lot I've forgotten already.

Three things you liked about Russia. One answer we already know: the girls. What else?

• ⁠"The bread" (Frimpong said exactly that -- and "bread" in Russian is Sport24) and kind people. There's a stereotype that Russians are racist, but that problem exists in all countries. I was amazed at how nice Russian people turned out to be, especially in Ufa.

Wait. There was an incident in a match against Spartak. The fans gave you a booing, you got angry. You pointed the middle finger.

• ⁠All right, we forgot about it. I don't want to associate Russia with racism, my time in this country was great. I was in Russia for almost two years, everything was fine. I wouldn't say that was the main problem for me.

Do you support the BLM?

• ⁠I value all lives, race doesn't matter. All Lives Matter. Of course, there are reasons to talk a lot about black lives right now. Things are happening that are unfair to us.

How can the world get rid of racism?

• ⁠To me, racism is a disease. If a person is a racist, it is impossible to indoctrinate them. I don't understand why people insult others because of the colour of their skin. I don't see the difference between blacks, whites, yellows.

At Ufa, you played with Alexander Zinchenko. Could you have guessed that he would play for Manchester City?

• ⁠Yes, he is very dedicated. Zina is a very serious guy, constantly wants to learn, get better, he deserves a lot. Sasha has really put a lot of effort into becoming what he is now. It's not just luck. I'm very proud of him.

Did he ask you about England?

• ⁠Yes, every week. I was the one who taught him English, and he never paid me for my work. Write that Zinchenko owed me. He and I agreed that he would pay me when he left.

How much do you want?

• ⁠I usually charge $2,000 an hour. But he's my friend, so it's only $1,000 for him. I've wasted so much time on him! Tell him, it's very important, ha ha.

Zina said he played better FIFA than you.

• ⁠Yes, he was very good, because at that time I was often out on the field and he was sitting on the bench. So he had time to practice, haha.

Do you talk to him now?

• ⁠Sometimes. We correspond on Instagram, but not regularly.

What in Russia surprised you the most?

• ⁠The roads. I thought they would be much better. I'm used to the fact that in England there are beautiful roads everywhere. But when I arrived in Ufa, I was shocked!

Russian football in one sentence?

• ⁠There's a lot of running around here! Oooooo much! Russian football players are always in shape - they drink vodka in the morning and then run around like Usain Bolt.

You're handsome. We'd do interviews with you every day.

• ⁠It's not boring with me, is it?

Could anyone from that "Ufa" match you in humour and insanity?

• ⁠No one, that's for sure! Now I'm thinking about becoming a comedian. I think a lot of people would come to my show. No one is as good as I am.

Back in Russia, you also said you wanted to be a porn star.

• ⁠Oh, yes! I still want to come to Ufa and do porn with 20 Tatar girls (Frimpong said literally - Tatar babes - Sport24) or "smoked" girls.

Do you already have any offers?

• ⁠Yes, there are a lot of offers! People write to me and ask me to come. The problem is that I don't have money for the ticket, haha. But I really like Tatar girls!

Ha. There's a character like you we're missing right now, too.

• ⁠It's a shame that I left. Ufa is a place I love with all my heart. Terrific people work there! Russia has become a special place for me. And yes - write that I would like to come back!