How 1995 U17 World Cup Winner Sule Went From Signing With Real to Working as a Driver for de Gea & Electrician

• Ghana youth star Baba Sule could have had a great career following success at the U17 World Cup but a promising career was short-circuited by a myriad of issues
• Sule, who was touted as the next Claude Makelele, could not reach the expected heights his career promised before being forced to retire at age 27 in 2006 due to injuries
• Following his retirement, he has worked as an electrician, David de Gea's personal driver and is currently a kit man for Segunda División B's CF Fuenlabrada

Most football icons usually narrate their stories of moving from penury to bottomless riches. However, there is also a section whose career, destined for greatness plummeted and never gained the traction it promised.

More often than not the latter happens to African footballers, whose great career projections hit the rock and fail spectacularly.

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One such heartbreaking story is retired Ghanaian midfielder Baba Sule, a member of Ghana's victorious 1995 U17 team.

The now-43-year-old was among the goal scorers as Ghana sensationally beat Brazil 3-2 in the finals of the 1995 U17 World Cup in Ecuador.

Sule was touted as the next Claude Makelele owing to his energy, persistence, and aggression in the middle of the park.

He will sign for Spanish side Real Mallorca and received an invite from Real Madrid but was overwhelmed by the aura of the club.

A combination of injuries and Hepatitis hampered his career growth leading to many loan deals in the lower tiers of Spanish football - a career destined for greatness had unfortunately plunged into the ditch.

Baba had to call time on his injury-plagued career and became a driver for Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, who was then in his formative years at Atletico Madrid.

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“He was very shy, but we did well. During the trip, I learned the phrases in English. I had a great time with De Gean and his family. We are still in touch, we recently communicated with David’s mother in a conversation, we call David himself. “I always worry when he calls,” says Baba Sule as quoted by 9sportpro.

Sule, who was from a family of 14 had to engage in less-fancied jobs in order to take care of his family in Ghana.

“I sent all the money to my thirteen brothers and sisters,” said Baba Sule.

At one point, he got a job as an electrician and then worked at the El Corte Ingles retail chain store.

Sule has been with Fuenlabrada, a second-tier Spanish club, for several years. His new tasks are to collect balls, clean boots, and wash uniforms.

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Emmanuel Bentil, captain of the victorious Black Starlets team in 1995, has made a shocking revelation about how several players from that team failed to reach their potential following their success in Ecuador.

The team that defeated Brazil in the final to win Ghana's second U17 World Cup had several top players including the darling boy Awudu Issaka, Baba Sule and Stephen Appiah.

In an interview with Lifestyle TV, Bentil opened up on how the team consulted marine spirits to aid them to win the cup.