Ghanaian winger David Atanga has shared an intriguing revelation about his former teammate, goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, during their time at Red Bull Salzburg.

Atanga disclosed that Ati-Zigi's exceptional ball-playing skills almost led to him being converted into an outfield player.

Speaking to Accra-based Mothers FM, Atanga praised the Black Stars goalkeeper amid ongoing criticism from some Ghanaians.

"Ati-Zigi has received a lot of criticism from some football fanatics. He has been labelled as a subpar goalkeeper by many.

Truth be told, Ati-Zigi is not a bad goalkeeper. He is not an exception; even the greatest goalkeepers in the world, including Manuel Neuer, have bad days and make mistakes from time to time," Atanga stated.

Atanga urged skeptics to watch Ati-Zigi's performances at his club before passing judgment.

"I will urge anyone who thinks he is not a good goalkeeper to monitor him at his club, and after watching him, you can decide whether he is good or bad.

We shouldn’t only base on statistics to judge him," he emphasized.

Reflecting on their time at Salzburg, Atanga noted, "We played together at Salzburg, and he was nearly turned into an outfield player.

Ati-Zigi is a very good goalkeeper, just that there is much pressure when playing for Ghana. In our last two games against Mali and Central Africa Republic, our defenders underperformed, and the goalkeeper was blamed."

Ati-Zigi has been Ghana’s first choice since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He briefly lost his spot to Richard Ofori during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast but has since reclaimed his position.

Atanga's insights highlight Ati-Zigi's versatility and the undue pressure he faces when representing his national team.