Since playing his way into the hearts of the Black Stars fans last year, 20-year-old defender Samuel Inkoom has become one of the most important members of Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac's squad, epitomising an exciting new generation of players in the national team known as the 'young and wild ones.'

The right-back made his international breakthrough at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2009 in Egypt, where he and his team-mates overcame the mighty Brazil on penalties in the final to win the coveted trophy.

The talented Ghanaian had already made the switch to Europe with FC Basel the previous summer and soon cemented his place in a team which currently lies second in the Swiss Super League. "I've been very pleased with my performances so far," he told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview. "I think I've been playing well up to now and I've slotted into the team nicely."

However, it quickly becomes clear that not everything went quite as smoothly when he first arrived in Switzerland. "The biggest problem for me to begin with was driving. In Ghana, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Here in Switzerland it's a lot harder and you have to pay attention to a lot of things at once. I was caught by a speed camera as soon as I got here and had to pay a fine, but now I'm a good driver," said Inkoom with a cheeky smile.

There was also a major adjustment to be made in terms of the work ethic of Inkoom's new employers in comparison to former club Asante Kotoko: "At FC Basel, discipline ranks high on the agenda. Everything is very well organised, and you always have to be on time. That wasn't always the case in Ghana," said the Sekondi-Takoradi born full-back.

So why did he decide to join the 12-time Swiss champions? "Europe is a beautiful place. The training facilities at Basel are excellent and I feel completely at home here. Everything's going really well for me at the moment. There were a few clubs across Europe interested in me, but I decided to sign for Basel because they have brought on a few talented young players over the years. I can learn for my future here whilst giving my all for the team. Aside from that, Switzerland is a great country."