Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah opens up on decision to leave Europe for the MLS in 2017

Ghana defender and Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah insist his decision to leave Europe for the United States has paid off after winning the 2020 MLS.Mensah, who was named captain of Crew at the start of the season, led the Gold and Blacks to MLS success last Sunday after defeating the Seattle Sounders 3-0 in the finals.The 30-year-old was criticized when he made the decision to leave the Anzhi Makachkala for Columbus Crew, but Mensah insists it was a decision he never regrets.

“Actually the decision to come to the MLS didn’t actually make a couple of people happy. But obviously if you’ve got to make decisions because of people then you can never be happy,” he told the BBC.

“We all want what we want to do in life. People won’t be happy with the decisions other people make but it’s for you to live with the outcome.

“So it wasn’t like I was in a fantastic situation or a great team in Europe. I was in a mid-table team and doing well, but the opportunity in the MLS and the project kind of caught my interest and I went for it.

“And we’ve seen how the league has grown as the years have gone by and some superstars have joined the league and done so well.

“Everyone can see that now and with the success and how it’s attracted some big names, I believe the league will continue to grow.”