Thomas Partey has changed his name to Yakubu as part of his conversion to Islam. The 28-year-old will still be referred to as Partey when he plays for Arsenal and will continue to wear Thomas on his shirt.
Speaking about his decision to do so in a recent interview in Ghana, the Gunners midfielder revealed that his girlfriend Sara Bella inspired him to convert. Partey also explained that he grew up around Muslims when he was a kid, telling Nana Aba Anamoah: "I have a girl that I love but I hardly speak about it."
While it is understood that the move is not a formal name change, the Ghana international was then asked to detail his decision to which he responded: "I grew up with Muslims so at the end of the day it’s the same thing. Now my name is Yakubu."
