Christian Atsu’s faith and good deeds touched countless lives beyond football

C hristian Atsu could not have had a more appropriate name. The former Ghana winger, whose body has been found beneath the rubble left by the recent earthquakes in Turkey, was a true Christian in every sense of the word.

Atsu’s extensive charity work and numerous good deeds touched countless lives, transforming many for the better along his journey from West Africa to Western Europe and, ultimately, the Middle East.

During an interview with the Guardian in 2019, it swiftly became clear that a man whose childhood had been shaped by a powerful Christian faith was on a mission to use his wealth and standing as a Premier League footballer to help others.

“My faith is the most important thing in my life,” said the then Newcastle player who was playing for Turkey’s Hatayspor at the time of his death, aged just 31. “I know I’m one of the lucky people God has blessed. I’m very lucky and privileged to be in the position. I had nothing and now I’ve got so much I have to give something back.”

Atsu was a modest character who took immense pride in the achievements of his German-born author wife, Marie-Claire Rupio, but he also knew that winning the player of the tournament award at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea had made him a household name from Cairo to Cape Town.

He duly channelled the fame that, for a time, promised to turn him into Africa’s Lionel Messi into serving as a key ambassador for the global charity Arms Around the Child. It provides homes, protection, education and support for children who have been orphaned, abused, affected by HIV/Aids, trafficked, sold or live in child-headed households.

“I donate often, so they can buy food and stuff,” said Atsu. “We’re building a school in Ghana. About 300