A player famed for his notorious celebration against his former club, running the length of the pitch, taunting his former club Arsenal as the fans gave him endless abuse, but Emmanuel Adebayor was never fazed.

Some only know him for this one act, but the African striker was a complete player, the technique and relentlessness, there’s no surprise he played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, his qualities were recognised.

It’s not by luck that Adebayor played for Arsenal, Man City, Tottenham and Real Madrid; it’s his work ethic paired with the talent that carved out such a rewarding career. Growing up watching him play was always a joy, but I always wondered how a man with such long limbs could move with the ball as he did.

Patrice Évra mentioned the passing of Adebayor’s father, saying “Adebayor has always a happy person and said he celebrated his father once he died as he was a man with a strong mentality, always thinking of the next step.”  The two were together at Monaco, where Adebayor started becoming a player of interest to many Premier League clubs.

Emmanuel Adebayor’s upbringing shaped him to become a Premier League veteran. Living amongst extreme poverty, no electricity, no basic sanitation and uncertain of where their next meal will come from. Football became his form of distraction from what the real world was for him; it allowed for a spark to form in hopes of making a difference in his and his family’s lives.

Although Togo is where he was born and raised, Emmanuel comes from a Nigerian background as both his parents are Yoruba. The most extraordinary part of the story of his upbringing is the unfortunate fact of being unable to walk until the age of four. A story that is told through the lens of faith, he remembers being inside a church in Ghana when a football randomly rolled inside. But as this football was moving, Emmanuel felt some movement in his legs too. He then stood and ran for the first time in his life.

Even if the story is something people may consider fiction, it still is something that has a lot of meaning to it and has an impact on the career Adebayor had. It was the beginning of his football journey.

From playing on the streets of Lóme to then making it into Europe. At Monaco, the goals and presence caught the eyes of the footballing world earning him a move to the Premier League, a place where he really became one of the most feared forwards to come up against, the explosiveness and unpredictability from him was what being an African attacker usually entails, we take pride in expressing ourselves as we’ll inevitably show our true qualities.

Wherever Adebayor played, he was scoring goals, not to mention him also being Togo’s all-time leading goal scorer. Yet success didn’t insulate him from pain. When the wealth grew, and the pressure mounted, he openly expressed what it means to be the sole provider for the family, the emotional effects of not talking about the loneliness that came with being misunderstood when expressing all these pressures. It’s something refreshing to hear a footballer openly express their day-to-day life alongside their mental state; it’s the ideal way to humanise and attempt to relate to them. Something African legends of the game don’t share is the impact of being the person who has to save everyone.

In 2010, the Togo team were on their way to take part in the AFCON tournament in Angola, the team bus was ambushed by gunmen. The loss of fellow teammates and staff left Adebayor traumatised. This incident shook African football to its core. It led Emmanuel Adebayor to temporarily step away from the national team, as a lot of people would also do in such a tragic situation. Some said it was betrayal, but it was a man mourning for his countrymen. Everyone handles grief differently, and Adebayor chose the path of seclusion.

Resilience continues to define his story. Out of heartache grew purpose, a goal to better the lives of the youth across Africa with the launch of the SEA (Sheyi Emmanual Adebayor) foundation. The vision was to create opportunities for many of the youth via education and youth development, which is, in some ways, a reference to something he would’ve received help from in his own childhood. This project is a way of ensuring others will not have their future decided by circumstances.

Adebayor’s life is an example of what happens when faith drives you to believe in your dreams. His life started with trials and tribulations, but never did it slow down his pursuit to succeed. His journey reflects the complexity of African greatness; his immense talent was shaped by hardship and tragedy that not many can overcome.

He’s more than a footballer who escaped poverty. He’s a living prophecy of what it means to carry the hope of a continent on his shoulders.