Ansah Ossei-Owusu (22 November 1979 – 19 March 2022) was an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

Career

Owusu began his career at

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

, signing his first professional contract with the club in June 1998 after playing in the club's academy. In March 2000, Owusu was sent on loan to

Scottish First Division The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. It was replaced by the Scottish Championship. History The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 in Scottish footb ...

club

Raith Rovers Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the as a member of the Scottish Professional Football League. The club has won f ...

. At Raith, Owusu enjoyed a loan spell that was a "huge success" according to the '' Daily Record'', scoring three goals in ten appearances, with Raith manager

Peter Hetherston Peter Hetherston (born 6 November 1964) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Hetherston played over 350 league matches during his seventeen-year playing career, appearing for eight different clubs. He ...

expressing an interest in taking Owusu back on loan for the following season. As a result of Wimbledon's relegation from the Premiership, Owusu remained at Wimbledon for their 2000–01 First Division campaign. On 19 September 2000, Owusu made his debut for Wimbledon, starting in a 0–0 draw against

Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...

in the League Cup. Owusu made three

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

appearances for Wimbledon, before an injury halted his progress at the club. On 9 February 2001, Owusu was sent on loan to

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...

, making 17 league appearances for the club until the end of the season. At the end of the 2000–01 season, Owusu was released by Wimbledon. In December 2001, Owusu underwent a trial with

Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an association football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 and from 1891 played home games at Moss Rose. It competed in the short ...

, however failed to win a contract with the club. In the summer of 2002, Owusu signed for Southern League club Chelmsford City. Owusu made nine appearances at Chelmsford, scoring on his home debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against Hinckley United. Following his time at Chelmsford, Owusu signed for

Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...

outfit Enfield. During the 2009–10 season, Owusu played alongside former Wimbledon and Chelmsford teammate

Russell Williamson Russell Ian Williamson (born 17 March 1980) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. Career After progressing through the youth ranks, Williamson signed a professional contract with Wimbledon in June 1998. Upon his release ...

for Larsens in the Waltham Sunday Football League.

Personal life

Owusu's cousin, Lloyd, made over 300 Football League appearances. Following Owusu's playing career, he worked as a constable for the Metropolitan Police in north London. On 19 March 2022, Owusu died at the age of 42, following care from the North London Hospice.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owusu, Ansah 1979 births 2022 deaths Footballers from the London Borough of Hackney English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Wimbledon F.C. players Raith Rovers F.C. players Bristol Rovers F.C. players Chelmsford City F.C. players Enfield F.C. players English Football League players Southern Football League players Isthmian League players Black British sportsmen English people of Ghanaian descent Sportspeople of Ghanaian descent