Sulley Muntari rose to prominence as a member of the Ghana side that finished as runners-up at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship and has continued to build his reputation as one of the world's best young players. He joined Udinese from Liberty Professionals in 2001 after Manchester United were unable to agree a fee with the Ghanaian club. The dynamic midfielder subsequently helped the Bianconeri to qualify for the Champions League with a fourth place finish in Serie A in the 2004-05 campaign. His progress in senior international football has been less smooth and he announced his retirement after being sent home from the Athens Olympics for disciplinary reasons, only to subsequently make a public apology and return to the squad during the World Cup qualifiers.