Charles Asampong Taylor

Charles Kweku Bismark Taylor Asampong (born 14 July 1981 in Sefwi, Western Region) is a former Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a striker or an attacking midfielder. He had his greatest playing days and is one of the few players to play for Accra Hearts of Oak S.C. and Asante Kotoko. As a kid, he was often called tailor, after his uncle who was a tailor as he used to help his uncle with work, hence, he adopted the name Charles Taylor after the former Liberian president. Nicknamed "Terror" due to his ability to terrorise opponents. He's arguably one of the greatest players to ever play the Ghana premier league and a key member of the famous "64 Battalion" squad of Accra Hearts of Oak S.C. that won the African Champions League in 2000 and consecutive Ghanaian league titles.

Club career

Early life His playing career started off at Great Olympics, where he used to polish the shoes of their management, he had a bet with the then chairman Ade Coker that he could play better than the team players, he was asked to play and showed excellent dribbling skills, he later signed for the club.

Accra Hearts of Oak Asamponk transferred to Accra Hearts of Oak in 2000 where he helped them win the Ghana premier national league in 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons. Then coached by Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio and Ofei Ansah, Taylor formed a partnership with Ishmael Addo and Emmanuel Osei Kuffour affectionately called the deadly trio. Taylor joined Etoile du Sahel from Kotoko in 2004 for a fee of US$250,000 After an unsuccessful spell in Tunisia he was loaned to Accra Hearts of Oak in October 2006.

International career He was part of the Ghanaian 2004 Olympic football team that exited in the first round, having finished in third place in group B. He was a silver medalist with Ghana U-20 team at 2001 Africa youth championship in Ethiopia. He currently has forty one caps for the Ghana national football team, the Black Stars, scoring nineteen goals. Taylor represented the Black Stars at 2009 African Championship of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire, where they finished second, beaten by the famous Congo.

Personal life In August 2015, he was ordained as a priest, after making known his intentions of becoming a pastor to propagate the word of God.

Honours Accra Hearts of Oak Ghana Premier League: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006–07, 2008–09 Ghanaian FA Cup: 2000 African Champions League: 2000 African Super Cup: 2000

Asante Kotoko Ghana Premier League: 2003

Ghana African Nations Championship runners-up: 2009

Individual Ghana Premier League Top Scorer (shared with Bernard Dong Bortey): 2002 SWAG Sports Personality of the year: 2002 GFA player of the year: 2001