Thomas Party, the midfielder of Ghanaian and English club Arsenal who converted to Islam, will now be known as Jacob. The Ghanaian superstar converted to Islam in March after marrying a Moroccan woman, Sarah Bella. Although he was born a Christian, he grew up in Ghana with Muslims. Despite the change of name, the player said that he will continue to play ‘Thomas’ in the Arsenal jersey next season. In mid-March, a picture of a party with a sheikh holding the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, circulated on social media.
The 28-year-old has only played 26 games for the Gunners this season due to a hamstring injury and suspension. He is in a desperate attempt to regain full fitness. The player who played a key role in helping Arsenal finish fifth in the English Premier League this season and Ghana qualify for the World Cup is on the path to change in his personal life despite suffering a hamstring injury.
Thomas Party, who arrived in Spain in 2012 to join Legans’ youth team, signed with Atletico Madrid a year later. He then joined Real Mallorca and Almeria on a loan basis and returned in 2015. He joined Arsenal in 2020 for 45 million.