Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has expressed his gratitude after breaking the Premier League goalscoring record previously held by his boyhood idol, Tony Yeboah.
The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2026 season in England’s top flight, scoring 17 league goals to become the Ghanaian player with the most goals in a single Premier League season.
Semenyo achieved the feat during a memorable year in which he also played every minute of Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
The Black Stars reached the Round of 32 at the expanded tournament, with their group-stage campaign including a goalless draw against England.
Breaking Yeboah’s record is particularly special for Semenyo because of the former Ghana striker’s influence on him while growing up.
“Tony Yeboah is a player I always looked up to. Asamoah Gyan too, (former Ivory Coast star) Didier Drogba, the names are endless,” he told CNN.
Semenyo said watching African players perform well in the Premier League motivated him to dream of achieving similar success.
“When they were playing in the Premier League, scoring every week, you wanted to do the same thing as a young kid. To think I’m doing it now, I’m grateful to God,” he said.
His 17-goal campaign moved him past Yeboah’s previous record and further established him as an important player for both club and country.
Semenyo also hopes his achievements can inspire young footballers in the same way Yeboah, Gyan and Drogba inspired him.
“It’s a dream of mine to have kids looking up to me, following in my footsteps. It gives me more motivation to keep going,” he added.
Semenyo’s achievement adds another chapter to Ghana’s history in the Premier League, following the contributions of Yeboah, Gyan and other Black Stars players.
The 26-year-old also featured in Manchester City’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal on Sunday and is expected to play an important role under new manager Enzo Maresca as the new Premier League season begins this weekend.
