We only spoke Twi at home- Austria’s Kevin Danso on his Ghanaian upbringing
Austria defender Kevin Danso, whose parents hail from Tafo in Ghana, revealed that his parents strictly enforced Twi as the only language spoken at home.
In a sit-down interview with Black Sherif to discuss his new album IRON BOY, Danso shared that despite his parents moving to Austria in search of greener pastures, they remained deeply connected to their Ghanaian roots by preserving their language.
Danso, who moved to England at the age of six, was raised in Milton Keynes, where he began his football journey in the Milton Keynes Dons academy. He later transitioned to FC Augsburg to further his career at age 16
“My dad moved over from Ghana to Austria looking for job opportunities. At that time, finding work in Ghana was difficult, so he made the move and found work in Austria. Even though we were born there, we grew up on Ghanaian culture. In our house, we weren’t allowed to speak any language apart from Twi.”
Danso made his Bundesliga debut in March 2017 at just 18 years old, becoming Augsburg’s youngest-ever league debutant.
After making 44 appearances for the club, he joined Southampton on a one-year loan in 2019, followed by another loan move to Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2020. In August 2021, he signed permanently with RC Lens in Ligue 1, where he established himself as a defensive pillar.
His performances were instrumental in Lens’ impressive second-place finish in the 2022–23 season, securing a spot in the Champions League.
On February 2, 2025, Danso made a high-profile move to Tottenham Hotspur, joining the Premier League side on loan from Lens.