Kwadwo Baah looks to the floor and starts to laugh.
“Portsmouth away,” he says to his press officer. That is Watford’s next game, and Baah will be expecting a frosty reception at Fratton Park… his first trip there since a somewhat infamous celebration last year on Boxing Day.
Baah was sent off at full-time for a rather rowdy performance in front of the Pompey fans at Vicarage Road, after Rocco Vata scored deep into stoppage-time to seal a 2-1 win for Watford. Performing a dance I believe the kids have termed, ‘Take The L’, from the popular video game Fortnite.
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Baah is shown a red card after full-time after goading Portsmouth with the Fortnite ‘Take the L’ dance!
“I know I’m not going to get the greatest response there,” Baah tells Sky Sports with a big smile on his face. “I know the fans will give me stick.
“But I actually enjoy it because it shows I’m doing something right on the pitch. I find it amazing that, even though it happened nearly a year ago, they still talk about it.
“Some might disagree, but I do think that if fans can give it to us, we should be allowed to give it back. I just see it as banter and I’m not going to change who I am.
“I’ll always show some personality on the pitch. Players should loosen up and show that side of themselves. The abuse doesn’t bother me. I just smile and move on.”
Baah, still just 22, is in many ways shaped in resilience by his journey. He was released by Crystal Palace at 14, but fought his way back into the professional game.
First at Kinetic Academy in London, a charity based in London that combines football and education for young people, before being picked up by Rochdale who were in League One at the time.
Baah in action for Rochdale against Newcastle in the FA Cup in 2020
Last season was his breakthrough campaign at Watford after spells on loan in Germany and at Burton.
“It has been up and down for me. I started at Palace but got let go around under-14s,” he recalls. “I got my feet running again at Kinetic, then went on a few trials before I ended up at Rochdale when I was 16.
“It has been quite a journey but I have no regrets. I definitely always had the determination to keep going.
“From a young age I wanted to play football. My dad played as well and he taught me a lot. I never wanted to do anything else. Even after getting released, I kept the mindset that one day I would make it. Here I am today, grateful for everything.
“You have to be determined if you want to achieve your goals. You can’t do it half-heartedly. If you have hunger and determination, you always end up closer to what you want. I know I have that determination. I’m still young and I have a lot more to show and improve on, but hard work and determination take you far.”
Baah cites Neymar as an inspiration. The joy, freedom and skill with which he played captured the imagination of so many in his age group.
“He is my favourite player of all time,” Baah says. “I loved watching him, and I used to watch clips of his games before trying to copy what he did. He made football look so free and natural.
“But I don’t really play like him now. He did things no one can. I’m a direct winger and I love one on ones. People say wingers nowadays can be robotic, but since I was young I’ve loved attacking my defender. Going past players is the most enjoyable part of football for me.
“I think that style is entertaining to watch as well. When a player drives past opponents it’s exciting for the fans. I try to bring that to the pitch.”
It is Baah’s style on the pitch and infectious personality away from it that makes him so infectious to watch. One way or another there are likely to be fireworks at Fratton Park.
