# Daniel Amartey
**Daniel Amartey** (born 1994 in Accra, Ghana) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays as a defender and defensive midfielder, most recently for the Turkish club Beşiktaş and long associated with Leicester City, with whom he won the Premier League in 2016 and the [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) in 2021.[1](https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?kisiId=2552013&pageId=526) • [2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) He has 54 caps for Ghana and played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Accra, Ghana; 183 cm[1](https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?kisiId=2552013&pageId=526) • [3](https://www.fck.dk/en/spiller/daniel-amartey) |
| Position | Defender and midfielder; Claudio Ranieri called central midfield his best position and listed center-back, right-back, and right winger as alternatives[4](https://www.itv.com/news/2016-08-28/amartey-kante-comparison-played-down-by-ranieri) |
| Senior clubs | International Allies (GHA), Djurgardens IF (2013–2014), FC Copenhagen (2014–2016), Leicester City (2016–2023), Beşiktaş (2023–2024)[5](https://as.com/futbol/2016/01/22/internacional/1453490138_039314.html) • [6](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/119734/daniel-amartey) • [1](https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?kisiId=2552013&pageId=526) |
| Major honors | Premier League 2016, FA Cup 2021, Community Shield 2021 (Leicester); Danish championship 2016 and Danish Cup 2015, 2016 (FC Copenhagen)[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) |
| International | 54 Ghana caps from 2015 without a goal; AFCON 2015 finalist; one World Cup, Qatar 2022[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) |
| Beşiktaş contract | 21 July 2023 to 30 June 2026, ended by mutual termination recorded 13 September 2024[1](https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?kisiId=2552013&pageId=526) |
| Current status | Without a club since 13 September 2024; most league games played for Leicester[7](https://www.transfermarkt.us/daniel-amartey/profil/spieler/214056) |
## Early career in Ghana, Sweden, and Denmark
Amartey began his career at International Allies in his home country before moving to Europe with the Swedish club Djurgardens IF in 2013.[5](https://as.com/futbol/2016/01/22/internacional/1453490138_039314.html) He made 23 Swedish league appearances for Djurgardens in 2013 and 11 more in 2014.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710)
After a single season in Stockholm he joined F.C. København in July 2014, making his debut on 20 July 2014 against Silkeborg IF in the Superliga.[3](https://www.fck.dk/en/spiller/daniel-amartey) Across his spell at the club he played 63 matches in all competitions and scored 6 goals, including 44 Superliga matches, 9 in the [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league), and 3 in the [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league).[3](https://www.fck.dk/en/spiller/daniel-amartey) He was part of the Copenhagen side that finished second in the [Danish Superliga](https://www.edgepedia.org/danish-superliga) in his first half-season there.[5](https://as.com/futbol/2016/01/22/internacional/1453490138_039314.html)
## Leicester City
Leicester City, then leading the Premier League under [Claudio Ranieri](https://www.edgepedia.org/claudio-ranieri), signed Amartey from FC Copenhagen on 27 January 2016 for a reported £5.0 million, on a four-and-a-half-year contract running to 2020.[6](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/119734/daniel-amartey) • [5](https://as.com/futbol/2016/01/22/internacional/1453490138_039314.html) At the time of the transfer he had six Ghana caps.[5](https://as.com/futbol/2016/01/22/internacional/1453490138_039314.html) He made 20 league appearances for Copenhagen in 2015/16 before the move.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710)
In August 2016, an energetic performance against Swansea in which he shielded the defense and started the move for the opening goal drew comparisons with [N'Golo Kanté](https://www.edgepedia.org/ngolo-kante), who had left for Chelsea that summer. Ranieri played the comparison down, saying "there is only one" Kanté, but praised Amartey's versatility and named central midfield as his best position.[4](https://www.itv.com/news/2016-08-28/amartey-kante-comparison-played-down-by-ranieri) In December 2018 Amartey signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with [Leicester](https://www.edgepedia.org/leicester), extending his deal to June 2022.[8](https://www.11v11.com/players/daniel-amartey-249706/) • [6](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/119734/daniel-amartey)
His Leicester career was interrupted by a serious injury, reported by L'Équipe as a very grave injury, and his playing time fluctuated accordingly: 10 league appearances in 2018/19, 18 in 2020/21, 34 in all competitions in 2021/22, and 24 in 2022/23.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) Across seven seasons he won the 2015/16 Premier League title, the 2021 FA Cup, and the 2021 Community Shield, and he played in the 2016/17 Champions League campaign with 8 appearances.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710)
## International career with Ghana
Amartey debuted for Ghana in 2015 and was part of the squad that reached the 2015 [Africa Cup of Nations](https://www.edgepedia.org/africa-cup-of-nations) final.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) He played six AFCON matches in the 2016/17 season and three in 2021/22.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) He was named in Ghana's provisional squad for AFCON 2023 in Côte d'Ivoire, listed with Besiktas JK as his club.[9](https://www.cafonline.com/media/szzh20fx/afcon-2023-provisional-squads-list.pdf)
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar he wore shirt 18 as a defender and appeared in the group-stage match against Uruguay, which Ghana lost 0–2.[10](https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/media/native/world-cup-2022/report_133041.pdf) His last listed international match came on 17 November 2023.[8](https://www.11v11.com/players/daniel-amartey-249706/)
## Beşiktaş and after
Amartey joined Beşiktaş A.Ş. on 21 July 2023 on a contract to 30 June 2026, registered by the Turkish Football Federation as a foreign transfer.[1](https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?kisiId=2552013&pageId=526) He made 18 Turkish league appearances in 2023/24.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) The TFF record shows a mutual termination of the contract dated 13 September 2024, and Transfermarkt lists him as without a club since that date.[1](https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?kisiId=2552013&pageId=526) • [7](https://www.transfermarkt.us/daniel-amartey/profil/spieler/214056)
## Honors
- FC Copenhagen: Danish Superliga 2015/16; Danish Cup 2014/15 and 2015/16[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710) • [3](https://www.fck.dk/en/spiller/daniel-amartey)
- Leicester City: Premier League 2015/16; FA Cup 2020/21; Community Shield 2021[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710)
- Ghana: Africa Cup of Nations finalist 2015[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710)
## References
1. [DANIEL AMARTEY – Player Details, Turkish Football Federation](https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?kisiId=2552013&pageId=526)
2. [Daniel Amartey – joueur de football, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/daniel-amartey/201710)
3. [Daniel Amartey | Midfielder – F.C. København](https://www.fck.dk/en/spiller/daniel-amartey)
4. [Amartey Kante comparison played down by Ranieri, ITV News](https://www.itv.com/news/2016-08-28/amartey-kante-comparison-played-down-by-ranieri)
5. [El Leicester ficha al internacional ghanés Daniel Amartey, AS](https://as.com/futbol/2016/01/22/internacional/1453490138_039314.html)
6. [Daniel Amartey – Ghana | Player Profile, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/119734/daniel-amartey)
7. [Daniel Amartey – Player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/daniel-amartey/profil/spieler/214056)
8. [Daniel Amartey Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/daniel-amartey-249706/)
9. [AFCON 2023 provisional squads list, CAF](https://www.cafonline.com/media/szzh20fx/afcon-2023-provisional-squads-list.pdf)
10. [FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match report: Ghana 0–2 Uruguay, FIFA Training Centre](https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/media/native/world-cup-2022/report_133041.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of Africa › West African footballers › Ghanaian and Ivorian footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license