Lennard Sowah's slide from Arsenal to Hamilton Accies

Former Arsenal youngster Lennard Sowah admits his career has not gone to plan since leaving London but hopes Hamilton can help put him back on track.

Hamilton's new signing Lennard Sowah. Picture: SNS

The full-back – who has also had stints with Portsmouth and Hamburg – is in line to make his Accies debut today away to Partick Thistle after penning a short-term deal.

Firhill may not exactly match up to the Emirates but Sowah cannot wait to get going in Maryhill this weekend.

The former Germany Under-19 international was tipped for big things when he was making his way through the Gunners ranks but moved to Fratton Park after struggling to catch Arsene Wenger’s eye.

He managed a handful of games for Pompey under Avram Grant but soon returned to his homeland to sign for Hamburg.

But Sowah’s prospects did not improve much more as he was sent to play with the Bundesliga giants’ amateur second string.

Now aged 24, he has mustered just 60 senior games since leaving Arsenal – the vast majority of them in 
Germany’s fourth tier.

“I played for Arsenal’s academy and then moved to Portsmouth’s youth team. I had a scholarship but 
managed to play a couple of first-team games, so it was definitely a great time for me,” said Sowah. “But has my career gone the way I’d have hoped it would since then? Definitely not.

“However, I’m a person who works hard and doesn’t give up. I’m here to do my best.

“I want to kick-start my career. When I came here, I didn’t look at the club and think, ‘oh, they don’t have all the top facilities’.

“I’m here to play football. The ball is round, the pitch is green, I just want to get started. This is an opportunity to get where I want to be.”