Jordan Ayew Biography

Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa, England)

Jordan Pierre Ayew (/ˈdʒɔːrdən/ /ˈpɪər/ /æˈjjuː/;) was born on 11th September 1991. He is a professional footballer from Ghana who plays as a forward for Premier League club Swansea City and the Ghana national team.

Club career

Marseille

Ayew playing for Olympique de Marseille in 2013

Ayew started his career with Marseille as a trainee in 2006. He penned a three-year professional contract with Marseille in 2009. Jordan Ichmin Ayew played his first game for the senior team on 16 December 2009 in a league game, netting the equaliser against Lorient. Marseille went on to win the game 2–1. Ayew scored his second goal against Nice at the Stade Vélodrome on 27 April 2011 in a match which saw his elder brother André Ayew score a hat-trick. On 1 November 2011, Jordan and André both started a UEFA Champions League match for the first time against Premier League outfit Arsenal.

On 6 January 2014, he was sent to Ligue 1 rivals Sochaux on a loan deal until the end of the 2013–14 season.

Lorient

On 28 July 2014, Ayew penned a four-year contract with Lorient. Ayew explained the style and quality of play that Lorient proposed was the reason behind the decision.

Aston Villa

On 27 July 2015, Ayew signed Aston Villa on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £8 million. He netted his first goal for the club on 24 October 2015 against his brother André’s club, Swansea City. Aston Villa were relegated at the end of the 2015–16 season, winning only 17 points, but Ayew did end the season as their top scorer albeit with just 7 goals.

Swansea City

On 31 January 2017, Ayew moved to Swansea City in a swap-deal involving Swansea’s Neil Taylor, plus an undisclosed fee paid to Villa.

International career

Ayew debut for senior Ghana national team on 5 September 2010, in a 3–0 2012 AFCON Qualification match win against Swaziland, at the Somhlolo National Stadium in Lobamba, Swaziland. On 1 June 2012, Ayew netted his first and second international goals in a 2014 World Cup qualification match win against Lesotho, at the Kumasi Sports Stadium in Kumasi, Ghana. In December 2011, Ayew was named among the team that will represent Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations 2012.

In June 2014, he was included in the Ghanaian squad for the 2014 World Cup. In Ghana’s last warm-up match before the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil on 9 June 2014, Ayew came on as a first-half substitute for the injured Majeed Waris and ended up scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over South Korea.

Jordan Ayew was part of the 2015 nation cup team in Equatorial Guinea that took a silver medal as result of losing out to Ivory Coast on a penalty shoot out whom they clinch the African Cup, which occurred on 8 February 2015.

Personal life

Ayew is the son of Maha Ayew and Abedi Pelé, nephew of Kwame and Sola and brother of André, Ibrahim and Imani. All of his male extended family and siblings are current or former professional footballers. Ayew is a practising Muslim.