Plagued by recurring injuries, the former Premier League standout faces a harsh reality in Italy as physical setbacks cut his European comeback short just one year after leaving Brighton.
Tariq Lamptey is set for an abrupt end to his career at Fiorentina, only one year on from securing a €6 million move to the Italian club.
Lamptey suffered a cruciate ligament injury this season, missing the majority of the season. The Ghanians' record of injuries is grim reading.
Lamptey injury record via TransfermarktLockdown Lamptey will never be topped
There was once a time when Lamptey set the Premier League alight, one of the brightest young talents on the coast, snapped up from Chelsea's academy. His sheer bursts of pace and productivity on the right side made him a difficult opponent for everyone. During 2019/20, shortly before his hamstring issues in 2021, 'Lockdown Lamptey', was one of the key memories from the strange period of time.
Nobody could deal with him. Causing chaos, inverting into midfield, at times it felt like having a real-life cheat code on your time. Being only 5ft 4in, his size and dynamics were a rare sight at the Premier League level. This made him a surprise package, but the world soon got to know his name. During this period of time, there were links over a potential move to Bayern Munich, to link up with fellow pace-renown full-back, Alphonso Davies, who was flying at the time for the German giants.
Unfortunately, the following injuries hampered his development. His pace could have been what made him prone to hamstring injuries. It felt like the electricity of his runs would simply never be replicated. The inner, noticeable fear factor was limiting Lamptey, and it was incredibly sad to see.
He had a strong bond with the Albion fans. "Tariq Lamptey football genius", before "There's a Starman, running down the right" used to ring around every away end at every ground across the country. Lamptey was a staple among the Albion faithful, and most fans were very upset about his departure last year, even though they knew it was probably time to move on.
Since he arrived at Fiorentina, he has only managed 25 minutes of game time. 2 appearances, one from the bench. An incredibly depressing turn of events for someone who always felt like 'one of the good ones'.
Finding diamonds in the rough is hard enough, and Lamptey certainly was one of those at Brighton. He was the first of his kind and one of the first to shock Brighton fans with his quality. Previously, Albion fans had never experienced modern quality players in the Premier League era, but Lamptey was different.