Playing Asamoah at left-back 'wastes' him - Ghana assistant coach Tanko

Ghana assistant coach Ibrahim Tanko believes deploying Kwadwo Asamoah in midfield positions brings the best out of the Inter Milan player. 

Although he started his career as a midfielder, the 29-year-old has played largely at left-back or left-wing back over the last couple of years - particularly at club level - although he personally prefers to be deployed in midfield positions.

His switch to defence happened during his time at Juventus, and aside from Inter's Serie A opener, he has played in defence for the Nerazzurri so far this season. 

"I personally think the left-back is not where he belongs," Tanko, Uefa Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund, told Goal. 

"The Italian league is the most tactical of all the leagues I follow in Europe, with all the three-back system, five in midfield and the likes. 

"But I think Kwadwo’s position is in the middle, somewhere behind the striker or as a No.10 because he’s free to move everywhere. 

"When you fix him at the left-back, for me, you are wasting him. 

"He can also be played offensively. But I think he belongs to the middle of the pitch where he can move everywhere.

"With the kind of experience, skills and dribbling ability he has, I think he will be more effective in the middle than at those other positions."

Despite his 'new' role at club level, Asamoah continues to be handed midfield roles with Ghana's national set-up, where he only played in defence during their disastrous 2014 Fifa World Cup campaign in Brazil. 

He has been named in a 23-man squad for this month's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Sierra Leone.