The former AC Milan and Ghana star discussed his growing disillusionment with football in an interview with Bild am Sonntag in Germany, the country of his birth.
“All this money is a curse,” the 32-year-old midfielder said. “Football is now just a business and we’re only numbers.
"If your face doesn’t fit, you’re replaced, period. There’s no more loyalty and it’s sad.
“There should be a survey to see how many players are happy to go to training and how many have fun.
“Obviously football is a job for professionals, but it’s so well-paid that it becomes a source of stress.
"The pressure is huge and so it’s easy to talk about things like depression.
"There are times when I have fun and moments I don’t. I always had fun before.
"I get annoyed when I see lads who don’t show their talent. I know what it’s like to throw [talent] away.
“Some 19-year-olds drive a Mercedes, receive their salary and are happy. They have all that talent and do nothing, no extra training, nothing.
“They only play on their PlayStations and post on Instagram. They are the last to turn up at training and the first to leave.
“I did that once myself, but you can’t afford to do that in football anymore.”
