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According to him, Mensah never played a bad game during his decade-long career with the Ghana national team.
Ayew said this while comparing the leadership styles of the three immediate past captains of the Black Stars – Stephen Appiah, Mensah and Asamoah Gyan.
“He [Mensah] wasn’t a big talker but he had the respect of everyone mainly because he performed on the pitch. I don’t remember him having a bad game in a Black Stars jersey,” he told Joy FM.
“He didn’t speak much. He was always in his corner but he spoke on the pitch and his performance will make you understand what he was telling you.”
Mensah featured 83 times for the Black Stars and was one of the team’s most dependable lieutenants, rising to become captain.
He helped Ghana to reach the final of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and participated in two World Cups.
Ayew was also full of praise for Appiah, who led Ghana to its first-ever World Cup qualification in 2006.
“I think he [Appiah] is someone who had the charisma, the love of Ghana and was also marvelous on the field. This allowed him to control everything that was happening in the squad,” the 31-year-old noted.
“The first time I came into the Black Stars he was the leader and I really watched him and took a lot from him because he had that thing [leadership qualities] he did not learn, it’s a gift by God. That’s why he was able to achieve all that he achieved.”
On the leadership style of Gyan, Ayew said: “He was jovial and more into the laughter side of things with the players. He had that ability to interact with any player due to the way he conducted himself.”