How Semenyo overcame rejection to reach the World Cup with Ghana

From non-league to the World Cup - the Semenyo story

When Antoine Semenyo signed for Bournemouth, he sent former Leeds United manager David Hockaday a bottle of Champagne.

An unlikely duo? Perhaps. But if anyone can take credit for Semenyo's rise, it is Hockaday.

On the label of the bottle read the words "hunger and belief".

Words that resonated with Semenyo so much as a teenager that. at the biggest moment of his career to that point, he felt the need to reiterate them to the man who instilled them in him.

Semenyo's journey to the top has been a complicated one. The failed academy trials, the 5am starts to play non-league football, the thoughts of quitting the sport altogether.

But, now aged 26, it has all led to this. A game against England in a World Cup.

A humble, determined man, his remarkable rise is rooted in his resilience. the belief of a select few people who saw something in a down-and-out kid searching for his big break.

This is the Semenyo story.

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Born in London to Ghanaian parents Larry. Dela, Semenyo and his brother Jai grew up in Greenwich with a ball almost permanently attached to their feet.

It should be little surprise Semenyo is now so adept with both his right. left feet given his father, who played alongside Tony Yeboah in Ghana's top flight, encouraged him from a young age to kick "paper, a can, anything" with both feet.

By the age of six it came naturally to Semenyo -. the dream of becoming a professional footballer was born.

His talent was spotted. encouraged by his parents, who sent him on trials at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Millwall before an eight-week trial at Crystal Palace aged 15.

None of those avenues proved successful.

At 16, Semenyo was deflated, disillusioned and ready to give up on football altogether.

Semenyo headed to a trial session at Bisham Abbey. later saying he only went to see where his fitness was compared to the other hopefuls. Little did he know that this particular trial would be the one to change the trajectory of his career.

"When I first came across him he was lost," Hockaday told BBC Sport.

"He looked lost. He talked lost. There was a vacancy in his eyes. There was no belief. He was looking for somebody to help find himself."

By chance. former Forest Green Rovers boss Hockaday was at Bisham Abbey that day and, upon arrival, was asked to help out with the trials Semenyo was taking part in.

He helped with some drills before observing a series of matches. was "surprised" when the teenager's name did not come up after.

"He didn't rip it up, didn't look anything particular, but he had moments. I believe that's what these trials are all about. I just saw a young lad who could deal with the football with both feet - inside. outside - without even thinking about it," Hockaday said.

"He wasn't in the greatest physical shape, but he moved well. He had a good pair of shoulders. he looked like physically he was going to become a specimen in the right environment."

Hockaday thought that was the last he had seen of Semenyo. But something had not quite sat right.

"I am good at spotting talent," he said. "I've described Antoine to his family as an itch that I just couldn't get rid of."

The itch needed to be scratched. Hockaday doesn't recall how, but in the weeks following he tracked down Semenyo's parents, explained to them who he was. said he'd like to help their son.

"We met up and somehow, in some way, they trusted their son into my hands. And that's when our relationship started."

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The trial that saved Antoine Semenyo's career

Hockaday had seen something in Semenyo that no-one else had. But with the youngster struggling for confidence and belief, his talent needed to be nurtured.

"I think initially I had to earn his trust," said Hockaday.

"I was very passionate about how good I thought he could be. I thought this kid in the right environment could be a professional footballer.

"I believed in him, without a shadow of a doubt. I believed in him before he started believing in himself again."

Hockaday brought Semenyo into his team at South Gloucestershire. Stroud (SGS) College, who competed in the South West Counties League.

To ensure he could get to games, Hockaday would pick Semenyo up from Swindon - where he was living in digs with other professional football hopefuls - on a Saturday morning at 5am. drive him to matches.

"I had to bang a few times on the door sometimes to get him up," Hockaday said. "But we got him there, and we got him playing."

David Hockaday played for teams including Swindon Town and Blackpool before going into management

It didn't take long for Semenyo's confidence to grow, with Hockaday's two key words - hunger. belief - quickly becoming a mantra.

"That first season allowed him to believe in himself. He was playing against the top non-league players in the south west and they couldn't control him," said Hockaday.

"Once he started growing, he became this force of nature. He tested me and my coaching, because he was progressing at a great rate of pace."

Chats in the car on those early Saturday mornings were centred around football -. Semenyo soaked up every piece of advice he could.

"That just fed his hunger. it confirmed to me that this this lad would go through anything to get to where he wanted to get to," said Hockaday.

"The next season came where he joined SGS full-time. During the pre-season we played five or six pro teams. beat them all and nobody could handle Antoine - every team wanted to sign him or showed an interest in him."

By 2018. Semenyo had signed his first professional contract with Bristol City, who trained at the same facility as SGS.

Semenyo spent half a season on loan at Newport County

Semenyo might have signed for a Championship club but. still only 18 years old, he was immediately sent out on loan to non-league side Bath City.

Jerry Gill. their coach at the time, believes that step into men's football helped Semenyo become the physical player he is today.

"When he was playing with players of his own age he relied on the fact he would just be stronger than them - but when he came up against men he had to learn how to protect with his arm, shield the ball, spin. slide," said Gill.

Semenyo started as a striker but Gill moved him out wide and was impressed with his response to feedback.

"He was a sponge," said Gill. "He was accepted with the team - and that's not easy for a young lad coming on loan. His attitude had to be right and it was. He had that big smile on his face that you still see now."

Next came a loan move to League Two Newport County. for whom he scored three goals in 21 games across the first half of the 2018-19 season.

A couple of impressive FA Cup performances saw him heavily linked to Premier League side Chelsea -. prompted Bristol City to recall him.

Would this be Semenyo's moment to shine at a higher level? Not quite.

He was handed his first start by the play-off chasing Robins in March 2019. was hooked before the hour mark with his team 1-0 down at home to Leeds.

A month later. with City trailing top-six rivals Derby, he was thrown on as a 33rd-minute substitute in search of an equaliser. They lost 2-0 - and Semenyo was sent off.

The false starts would continue - a relatively disappointing loan spell in League One with Sunderland the following season, managers coming. going at Ashton Gate and Semenyo failing to establish himself in the team.

It was the arrival of Nigel Pearson that seemed to change things.

Partly through choice and partly through necessity, with a wage bill badly in need of trimming, Pearson turned to youth. Semenyo, along with now Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, was front and central.

As one of the few experienced pros remaining at the club, ex-Bradford City Nahki Wells would become a mentor to Semenyo during that time. recalls "a young player who was raw but full of talent".

"I remember being that guy he came and had chats with. I was almost like a big brother," Wells told BBC Sport.

"There's nothing he didn't have. He had the pace, the ability and a skill level that was underappreciated at the time.

"It was very hard to stop that. It was like a puzzle. he was just putting his pieces together to become this article that he is today."

Something had clicked. In 2021-22 - eight goals and 12 assists. In 2022-23 - eight goals and two assists.

Premier League clubs came sniffing, with Southampton. Crystal Palace - the club that had rejected him six years prior - among those interested.

Semenyo and Wells (left) played together at Bristol City for two-and-a-half seasons

Semenyo got his Premier League move when he signed for Bournemouth in 2023 for £10m on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

His exploits on the south coast are well documented as he became their standout star - 32 goals. 13 assists in 110 appearances across all competitions.

He was the perfect fit for Andoni Iraola's system of high-energy, counter-pressing football.

His 10 goals in the first half of the 2025-26 season were enough to attract the attention of one of the greatest managers in the game's history - Pep Guardiola.

Semenyo's £65m move to Manchester City in marks the peak of his journey up the football leagues. A move that even Hockaday did not see coming.

And so we arrive at this summer, with Semenyo having scored 11 goals. recorded three assists for City before heading to the World Cup with Ghana.

He ended the domestic season as an FA Cup hero. scoring the winning goal against Chelsea in the final at Wembley.

"When I see this young lad. I see what he's created, where he's got to and where he's going to now it's a bit mind-blowing for me," said Hockaday, who describes Semenyo as still "humble" and "one of the good guys" despite his meteoric rise.

"After rejections I would say to Antoine don't prove them wrong, prove you right, prove me right. All he was doing was proving himself right.

"I kept in touch with him. usually at the end of every season we'll meet up for a few hours and have a chat and discuss things on and off the field. If there's anything he's not sure about he knows he can call me and he does.

"I just feel pride being able to say that I've been part of his journey."

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Semenyo scores for Manchester City in the FA Cup final against Chelsea

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**Author: January**