Nii Lamptey: The Curse of Pele

Nii Lamptey, a Ghanaian footballer, was hailed as the next Pelé by Pelé himself. However, his career became a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when too much pressure is applied to young players. Injuries, lack of schooling, domestic violence, bad agents, and a tragic and turbulent personal life pushed him to the brink of suicide.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 26 June 2023
Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd

Nii Lamptey: The Curse of Pelé is the authorized biography of Ghanaian footballer Nii Lamptey, a once-promising young talent who was acclaimed as the next Pelé by Pelé himself. At the age of 16, Lamptey achieved remarkable feats by winning the Belgian title with RSC Anderlecht and the world championship with Ghana's under-16s. A year later, he secured a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. After joining Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven on loan in 1993, he impressively scored 10 goals in 22 games. It seemed as if Lamptey had the world at his feet. However, his career took a different turn, as spells at Aston Villa and Coventry City followed, yet he failed to fulfill Pelé's bold prophecy. Instead, his journey became a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when excessive pressure is placed on young players. Injuries, lack of education, domestic violence, poor agents, and a tragic and turbulent personal life pushed Lamptey to the brink of suicide. Fortunately, he overcame these challenges and embarked on a remarkable recovery. In this candid and comprehensive account, he finally sheds light on his incredible story,warts and all.

Weight: 486g
Dimension: 240 x 160 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781801501316