The 41-year-old called time on his football career in 2012, and was honoured with a testimonial game at the Accra Sports Stadium in 2015.

However, a recent video of the ex-Juventus midfielder training has sparked conversations over a possible return to active football.

Reacting to this on his Twitter page, Appiah said the video was an advert he shot in Thailand, adding that he remains retired.

“This was an advert I shot in Thailand for Vitamilk oooo.... Retired 10 years ago and I am not turning back.... Just ignore any such news,” he tweeted.

Appiah was Ghana’s skipper when the country qualified for its first-ever FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006.

Having risen through the ranks, from U-17 and U-20, Appiah went on to represent the Black Stars 67 times, scoring 14 goals.

He is widely regarded as one of Ghana’s greatest ever captains after helping to introduce a flat bonus structure for both local and foreign-based players.

Meanwhile, Appiah’s former international teammate Asamoah Gyan has expressed his desire to play in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, insisting he’d love to play on the big stage for one last time.

Gyan has been trending on social media after his interview with the BBC, where he compared his possible return to that of Roger Milla, who came out of retirement to play for Cameroon in the 1994 World Cup.

The 36-year-old was a regular fixture in the Black Stars for almost two decades, having made his international debut in 2003.

However, he has not featured for the national team since playing at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

In the last three years, Gyan has battled with niggling injuries while his time with Ghana Premier League outfit Legon Cities also didn’t go according to plan.

Despite his inactivity, though, he insists he hasn’t retired and has opened his doors to a return to the Black Stars ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.

Source…sompaonline.com/Eric Murphy Asare