The final whistle has blown on the 2024/25 Premier League season, and as the dust settles, one electrifying name echoes louder than most: Antoine Semenyo.
AFC Bournemouth’s relentless, marauding Ghanaian forward didn’t just play – he dominated, leaving defenders in his wake and fans on the edge of their seats.
Showmax managed to corner the man himself for a chat, diving deep into the season that saw him explode onto the Premier League stage. Get ready to hear his incredible story, in his own words.
This is what he had to say:
Bournemouth have reached incredible heights this season. What do you think has clicked this season?
I think it started from pre-season, really. I think everyone was just ready to go. Kind of repeat what we’d done the season before. And I think we’ve exceeded the expectations, really. So, I think it stems down to the philosophy working again: those intensive speeds and just that mentality. I think everyone’s mentality is top here and our place in the table shows that.
You speak about mentality. I think anyone who’s watched Bournemouth has maybe seen a change in your habits here, in particular at the Vitality Stadium. If they follow you on social media, they’ll know that you’re a man of faith.But we’ve seen you embrace it even more. We see some players before games praying their own ways, but I believe you take it a step further. You have a pastor who’s actually a season ticket holder?
Yeah, a season ticket holder. Do you know what’s so funny? I met him through one of the players. He used to be here, Junior Stanislas, and I was just looking for a church. And he passed me his number. I started speaking with him, I got a good vibe from him and he told me that he’s a season ticket holder. He comes to the games and watches us.
And over time he started to build a little connection and I thought, I want to show my faith to the world. It’s important to me. So I proposed the idea of him praying with me before the before the games. Everyone’s intrigued to see what’s going down. But yeah, I just want to share my faith to the world.
Were you at all nervous about that? Because it’s such a huge demonstration of faith and at a crucial moment, just before a game?
So he would come over to this little part here, and then we just pray it out. Just give me that protection in the game, the Holy Spirit to lead me to goals. Keep me injury free. And yeah, it’s all off-the-cuff freestyle, really.
Does he comment about your game? Your style of play?
Yeah, he does. After the game, he messages me, “you are on fire! ” “you pushed that guy in the stands!”, and just little things like that just to make me laugh. But I think it all stems down to that prayer before the game, which is so important to me. And if I don’t do that, I don’t feel right for the game. So that has to be done before anything else is done.
Do you feel faith has been key to what we’ve seen from you this season?
100%. I think at the start of the season, I knew I wanted to beat the numbers I got and I sat down, prayed on it, made sure that I got the Holy Spirit with me as well. So when I’m on the pitch, I feel like I’m invincible. No one can touch me.
You’ve passed your second anniversary with the club, and surpassed your goals contribution from last season. Do you feel having that connection and relationship with God has taken you to this path?
Yeah, definitely. I think at the start of the season, my goal was to beat the numbers that I got, and I always sit down and have a long prayer, a little conversation, just saying what I want to do for the season, and it’s just coming into fruition now.
So I know the Holy Spirit is working. God is working behind me as well. So I’m grateful.
For anyone who maybe isn’t religious or wasn’t brought up in a religious background, how did you come to that place where you felt like, ‘I need faith in my life, and faith is such a huge part of my journey as a footballer.’
I think life experiences when I was young. I always used to go to church with my mum and dad and my little brother. So that’s just common. But I think when you have a couple of experiences you want to have someone to turn to, and I turn to him and he’s been great for me since.
Every day, just being alive, being healthy. I’m just so grateful. So that’s the man I turned to regarding anything in life, whether it’s football or if it’s outside of football.
I believe your love for football also started at home, from your dad Semenyo Senior?
Yeah, it started from him. He played in Ghana. I didn’t get to see anything, but my uncles and aunties used to say he was top, so it’s kind of like, I think I get that from him, and I think my brother does as well.
But, yeah, I’m sad I didn’t get to see any clips, but I heard he was a player, so I think that’s where I get it from.
When you were growing up in that kind of environment where a parent is so familiar with the sport and so close to it, and has even tried to play at a professional level, what’s that like as a child?
It’s tough. I think it’s like you kind of see what the realism of football is. You see the ups and downs. You see when everything’s going well, you see when everything’s going bad. And I got to see a lot of the bad. So I think it’s transitioned into my football now. When I see the bad, it’s kind of like, what do you do to get out of that bad sticky patch and get to the good stuff, the good phases? So I think it’s just advice from my dad saying, just keep going, keep your head down, keep working. Even when things aren’t going well, it will turn around. So just keep going.
You also mentioned that your brother plays, right?
Yes, there is a three-year age gap between us, so there was a lot of competitiveness growing up. It’s bad. He’s living with me right now. You should go see us playing two-touch in the garden, it gets intense!
Does your manager know you’re doing that in your spare time? Would you be a bit worried?
Ah, no, he doesn’t know. I’m just going to keep my mouth quiet. Yeah, we’re always playing. Whether it’s Playstation, whether it’s playing outside in the garden, whether it’s play fighting. I don’t know if I should be saying that, but everything’s just competitive with us.
You are now in the Premier League. You’ve obviously played through the divisions as well. What would be an ideal scenario for the Semenyo household?
My brother playing in the Premier League would be the most ideal. I mean, it’s obviously a long way to go. He’s going through his phases, ups and downs at the moment, but if he can get to the Premier League while I’m playing here, hopefully, God willing, that would be amazing. He’s always leaning on me for advice.
When was your first football trial?
It would have been 12/13. From 12 to 16 years of age, I was going everywhere. I went to Arsenal, went to Fulham, went to Palace, went to Millwall, maybe four or five times. I went to so many teams.
Did you understand just how big it was at that time?
No, I don’t think so. I thought I was just playing football. I didn’t really think about it. I just went there and had fun, but I didn’t realise how intense it was until I got there. And that’s why, maybe, for the first two years after 12, it was really tough. But when I got to 15/16, I really understood that it’s a different ball game, it’s not Sunday League. So, yeah, it was a bit tough at the start. I got to Palace and I thought it was going well. I was there for maybe eight months and I thought I was getting signed, there was a game. I played that game and my dad was there and I think I should have squared it to someone. And I shot. And I hit the post and went off the pitch. My dad said he’d seen the manager in the distance shaking his head and he knew from that point I wasn’t going to get signed. And to be fair, he didn’t tell me. It’s not long ago he told me that, to be fair.
Did he break that news to you after you had been told you hadn’t made it?
Yeah, but it was not long ago. Obviously, I was a bit emotional, a bit upset that I didn’t get signed but he didn’t say anything to me. It was only a couple of years ago that he actually mentioned it to me. And I look back and laugh now. But yeah, I think it’s probably better he didn’t tell me then because I was very emotional. I had a lot of anger and fell out of love with the game of football.
So, you fell out of love, and I guess you quit it right at about the age of 15. You were like, ‘I’m done’?
Yeah, I stopped for a year. I just went to school like normal.
And during that period where you weren’t playing football, did you miss it at all?
Not really, to be honest. I had a lot of time with friends and family. I was able to go out with friends. I’d be able to go out with family as well. So, I didn’t really miss it too much, no.
What was the pivotal moment that made you think, ‘maybe I should give football one more chance’?
It’s funny because I was with my uncle, my mum, my dad. Just a normal day. I think school was finished now, in summer. And my uncle said, “we’ve got some open trials you can go to if you want. No pressure. Just to reignite your football career again.” And I was like, “you know what? Like, what’s the worst that can happen?” So I just went, free mind, enjoyed the game and did really well.
It’s interesting because it seems like when you made peace with letting go of it, that’s when all of a sudden you let go of all those shackles and you obviously impressed the person who was holding that trial, David Hockaday, right?
Yes.
He was such a key influence in your life. So, from that trial, he took you to Swindon, you said. So what happened next?
We had a college set up in Swindon. He was coaching a couple of the boys and they were playing loads of games. So he just said, “Come get your fitness back. You can do education in the meantime as well.” But I got there with no expectations to be honest, I just wanted to play football. And that first year I did so well. I just got fit again and I was just scoring goals left, right and centre. It’s crazy. I was playing midfield around that time as well, so I was just shooting from range and having that left foot, right foot, from early was so helpful. So I did really well that year. And David Hockaday moved to Bristol, so I ended up moving to Bristol with him. I was still going to school in Swindon, but then I was playing football in Bristol. I was taking the train, David would come and pick me up sometimes as well. I’m so grateful for him, to be honest. I don’t know where I’d be without him. But, yeah, it was a great experience at Bristol.
David Hockaday, this father figure for you, took you to Swindon. He was there, part of the journey, picking you up from the station, taking you to games and so on. What was the next step in your journey then, Antoine?
While we’re at Bristol in the summer, we would play against different academy teams. And that summer we played against Bristol, Oxford and a couple of teams from France. I can’t remember their names. And as a college, we were competing in all competitions, winning all the trophies and playing academies you don’t think you’re going to do too well in. We won all four games, I scored in every game. I think I scored two against Bristol, three against Oxford. I scored a brace in both the games against the French teams. And I remember after those games the manager saying, “Bristol, they’re going to scout you”. And I was just like, “ah, yeah, whatever”. That kind of thing. And literally, a week later they came in and said, “we want you to come in on trial”.
How did that feel?
I was nervous. I was so nervous. I remember calling my mum saying, “I’ve got a trial, finally, I’ve got a trial!”, and she was excited for me.
And how old were you exactly?
I was 17. And my mom just said to me, “Just give it your all, that’s all you can do. Give it your all”. So I went to Bristol, I was there for two weeks, played in two games, scored in both the games. And yeah, they called me, my agent, my mum and dad and that’s obviously the moment that I knew I was getting signed or not. And I remember looking at my mum as I was getting into the meeting, so nervous, just hot, clutching my knuckles, just hoping that it would be good news. And they started off the meeting saying what good a person I am. Quite humble, a good person to be around. And I was thinking, “Oh, where’s this going?”, and then they said that they’re going to give me a contract. And I remember just looking to the sky thinking, “Oh god, finally, finally. It’s been so long.” I remember my mum just hugging me.
When you left that meeting with the officials from Bristol, what did your parents say to you?
My dad put me in a headlock. My mum was hugging me. We’re just excited in the car. I was just thinking all these opportunities I had in London, I was so frustrated, so sad. And now I’ve got my opportunity and now I’ve got to take it. So from that moment, I was just wanting to work hard and prove I could.
During your period with Bristol City, you did suffer an injury. How did you spend that time? Because it can be quite mentally challenging just watching.
I think it goes back to my mentality really. It’s just kind of like, “What can I do if I’m not playing football?”, and it’s like, “Just keep going. What can I do?” So, it was actually one of the assistant coaches at the time at Bristol that suggested that I should watch a lot of clips on my idols. He suggested Breel Embolo from Monaco. He feels like my playing style is very similar. And so I watched him, Henry and Drogba for inspiration really. Just movement, working on heading, footwork, just little things. And yeah, I used my time just watching them, really.
And then 2021/2022, where it’s almost a year where you don’t look back. And so you got the January player of the month in the Championship. And then we fast forward a few months into 2022 now. Incredible year.
You’re still with Bristol. On the horizon is the Qatar World Cup 2022. You get a call to join a certain team, a certain country that obviously means so much to you and your family. You get the call to join Ghana at the World Cup. What was that like?
I remember Chris Houghton giving me that call and he was calling all the boys that I knew, and they were telling me, oh yeah, we’ve got the call kind of thing. I’m thinking, “Ah man, when am I going to get my call?”
So, I get my call and he tells me, “Look, you’ve been selected for the team.” I remember ending the call, running down the stairs, and ran to my mum and said, “Mum, guess what?
I’ve been picked!” and she was crying. Dad was just hugging me excitedly. My brother was slapping my head, just being an idiot, to be honest.
What was it like that first time putting on the Ghana shirt when you were stepping out into one of those stadiums in Qatar?
I felt that pressure, to be honest. There’s a lot of pressure from the fans that, you know, we’ve got a good team, we want to do well. And I agree with them, we have a very good team, so there was a lot of pressure behind it.
I think we needed to beat Uruguay to get through and we obviously lost. It was just frustrating really. You look in the stands, all the fans are frustrated, angry, cussing out everyone. And that’s just the country in a nutshell. They just love football.
You did take your opportunities because then a few months later, January transfer window 2023, you get the call from Bournemouth that they want to sign you from Bristol City. Again, how did that happen?
I had a few clubs that were quite interested. But Bournemouth had kept track from that summer through to the World Cup, through to January, so their interest was really strong. They were watching me, checking up on me and that shows how good the club is.
They were so interested. Yeah, I knew that my heart was set on joining Bournemouth even though I was having interest and I just never looked back from when I signed.
When you saw your name with £10 million pounds, what went through your mind? What went through your family’s mind?
They were thinking, “Premier League, like, wow, this is, this is crazy! Our son’s playing in the Premier League”. Yeah, it was a nice feeling. I think I knew it wasn’t over. I’m not saying I’ve made it yet. It’s just kind of cool. Now I’m playing in the Premier League. I need to get to where I want to get to.
I want to get to the next level. How can I do that? I knew coming into the Premier League is going to be tough playing against tough players, fast players, intelligent players every week.
So, obviously the first couple of months we were fighting against relegation, so that was a tough period. I’ve never really been involved in that, so that was tough. That training was intense. Every day.
And when we found out we were safe, it was a relief because those training sessions, I couldn’t hack it anymore. But yeah, that was a tough period but we got through it, which we were grateful for. And then the next season started.
When you joined the club, your manager was Gary O’ Neil. The club then decided to make a change. Out he went, in came Andoni Iraola, who has completely changed things, not just here at the club but in the Premier League as well. When he first came in, things didn’t go according to plan, maybe. I guess the expectations people had set. It took, what, 10 games to get the first win. A lot of murmurings outside of the club. Like, “can he do it? Can he adjust to the Premier League? What was the environment like inside the dressing room?”
It was intense. I’ll use the word intense. It was it was tough, to be honest. There were so many games where we thought we could have got a result and obviously it didn’t go our way. And to be fair, we’ve got a good group so everyone was trying to be positive, but you could see on the outside it was tough. So there was a lot of pressure on us. Games were going by, we hadn’t got a point or hadn’t got three points, I should say. And yeah, it was, it was a tough, sticky period. But I think that we managed it well enough as a team.
What do you feel changed then? What was it when you were able to get that first win? And then all of a sudden did the players buy into his philosophy?
I’d like to think so. I think when you get a new philosophy, it doesn’t click within one training session. It takes a couple of sessions, a couple games as well. So, I think after the game, I think we beat Burnley and after that game, everything just started clicking, training started clicking, games started clicking. And yeah, that’s what you see now to this day.
What we see now is incredible stuff. Bournemouth were one of the surprise packages this season. You’ve surpassed your goal contributions from the last campaign. Some of the results you’ve got here at the Vitality Stadium, beating the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, that emphatic win over Nottingham Forest, another team that has surprised many. Which win has stood out for you so far?
I think that Nottingham Forest one. I think there was so much pressure behind that game, not necessarily on us, just like the outside, The fans saying it could be the game of the year kind of thing. So, it’s kind of like saying, “okay, I’m looking forward to the weekend. It’s going to be good”. And I’ve got a few friends on the Forest team as well like Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi. I just wanted to kind of rub it in their faces, you know. So obviously beating them five-nil was a nice touch.
Did you message them after the game?
I spoke to Anthony (Elanga) after the game to be fair and he’s just like, “You guys are so good, like so intense.” And yeah, it gives us props and how we controlled them.
What a scoreline. What has the manager done then? Because as you said, you bought into the philosophy but it took a while to click. But now we’re seeing next levels in this current season.
I think it’s just mentality. It comes down to mentality. I feel like the way the manager wants to play is with a lot of running, and you have to be mentally prepared to do that. If you’re not mentally prepared, it’s going to be tough.
Do you feel you’re out of the door if you’re not up to it?
Not out of the door, but you’ll just be out of the picture, kind of thing. There’s going to be people ahead of you. So it’s kind of like, in training, you see so many scenarios where there’s counter-attacks and you have to run 50, 60, 70 yards back to get the ball and then you have to run forward. We play those scenarios so much in training so when it comes to the game, it just feels like second nature. So, all those recovery runs you see in the game, all those runs in the 90th minute that you see us going forward, it’s all practised in training and we do so many scenarios that it just feels like second nature now.
As an individual, do you envision yourself playing in Europe soon?
I’d like to think so. I pray about it a lot and I’d like to think my performance shows I’m ready to take that next step, but I think it’s every player’s dream to play in Europe, so why not?
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