"Now my name is Yakubu!" - Arsenal star announces decision to change his name 

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has announced that he would like to be known as 'Yakubu' after converting to Islam.

The 28-year-old made the announcement via a video posted on social media by prominent Ghanaian journalist Nana Aba Anamoah.

In the video, the Ghana vice-captain confirmed that he would like to be known as Yakubu from now on, as he stated (as per The New Arab):

"I grew up with Muslims so, at the end of the day, it's the same thing."

Asked why the tenacious midfielder decided to convert to Islam, he stated:

"I have a girl I love. I know my side chicks will leave me but it's no problem"

The Arsenal star also confirmed that his partner is a Moroccan and a Muslim woman.

According to Sport Bible, the player and his partner Sara Bella recently married. Yakubu is another form of the name Jacob and a West African transliteration of the said name, which is the name of Partey's father.

The midfielder made 26 appearances for the Gunners in the most recent campaign. An injury towards the latter stages of the season was cited as a key reason Mikel Arteta's side finished outside the Champions League places in the Premier League.

---

Partey claims Arsenal had "great season" despite missing out on Champions League

At one point in the season, the fourth place was Arsenal's to lose. But a run of six defeats in their final 12 games of the season meant they threw away that all-important spot, which left Tottenham Hotspur in prime position to capitalise.

However, in an interview with Joy Sports (per The Evening Standard), Partey tried to stay positive about his side. He used the defeat to Manchester City on New Year's Day as an example.

Arteta's side put on an outstanding all-round display against the eventual Premier League champions, despite succumbing to a 2-1 defeat thanks to a late Rodri strike.

Partey claimed:

“For me winning is the most important. It’s important to play well and have dominance in the game but in the end, if you don’t win, you don’t feel happy personally. They were the best team at that moment and we were able to play them at that level. In that end, we had a great season, short in the end but we had a great season.”