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Happy Birthday, André Ayew!

Journeyman forward André Ayew is a Ligue 1 McDonald's legend, having played for four different clubs in France over the course of his career.
L. ENTWISTLE
Published on 12/17/2025 at 09:00
3-minute read
André Ayew during his time as a player at Le Havre

Journeyman forward André Ayew is a Ligue 1 McDonald's legend, having played for four different clubs in France over the course of his career.

A cup winner with Marseille

Ayew came through the ranks at formative club Olympique de Marseille, before going on to make 209 appearances for the club. In that time, he scored an impressive 60 goals, registering another 23 assists. 

He helped fire OM to Coupe de la Ligue titles in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, whilst he also won the Super Cup in both of those seasons. Whilst he is still most commonly associated with OM, he has had a journeyman career that has taken him across Europe and even into the Middle East. 

Whilst with Marseille, he played on loan at Lorient and AC Arles-Avignon, before he left to join Swansea back in 2015. The Ghana international forged a career for himself across the Channel, playing not only for Swansea, but also for West Ham United. 

Ayew would then go on to play for Fenerbahce, Al Sadd, and Nottingham Forest, but the expiry of his contract with the latter back in the summer of 2023 opened up the opportunity for a return to Ligue 1 McDonald's, an opportunity that he seized with both hands. 

A move to Le Havre, the "Little Marseille"

He spent the 2023/24 season with Le Havre and, despite his contract expiring in the summer of 2024, he returned just months later, signing another deal that began last October and that ran until the end of last season. Over the two stints, he scored 10 goals in 48 matches and forged a connection with the club and the town.

"There is a really affectionate link and above all, an interesting sporting project. By signing here, I feel like I have arrived in a smaller Marseille. There is the sea, the stadkum, almost always sold out, and supporters who push," he told Paris-Normandie upon rejoining the club last Autumn. 

As he did during his first stint, he achieved his objective, helping Les Ciel et Marines retain their place in Ligue 1 McDonald's. Over the course of his career, he scored 56 goals and registered 18 goals in 228 games inLigue 1 McDonald's, more than in any other league in which he played. He also played 25 times in Ligue 2 BKT, scoring four goals and registering three assists. 

He has yet to sign for another club since leaving Le Havre last summer, but he has yet to announce his retirement. At the age of 35, we may yet see the former Ghana international grace the pitches of France once more.

Happy Birthday, André Ayew!

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