Illiasu Shilla Alhassan (born 26 October 1982 in Tema

Tema

Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...

) is a Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

ian football defender who is currently playing for Impuls Dilijan

Career

Illiasu was born in Tema

Tema

Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...

, Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

, and began his career in Kumasi

Kumasi

Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...

 with Real Republicans—a youth club—and then King Faisal Babes

King Faisal Babes

King Faisal Babes is a professional football club in Kumasi, Ghana, playing in the Ghana Telecom Premier League, and finished 3rd in 2005-06. They were represented at the FIFA World Cup 2006 by left-back Habib Mohamed, who was playing for Ghana. King Faisal Babes were relegated at the end of the...

, where he played in two successive campaigns in the African Confederations Cup in 2004 and 2005.

The tough tackling defender then moved to glamour club Asante Kotoko

Asante Kotoko

Asante Kotoko Football Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, is one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in Ghana as well as being one of the more successful teams in Africa, having won twenty national league titles. They have also twice been champions of Africa. The club's home ground is...

 and won a place in Ghana’s squad for the 2006 World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

, despite having never played for the national team

Ghana national football team

The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...

, and was only one of just four domestic-based players.

Shilla replaced Issah Ahmed

Issah Ahmed

Issah Gabriel Ahmed or Issah Gabarel Ahmad is a Ghanaian football defender who currently, as of May 2006, plays for Randers FC. In Ghana Issah is known for the nickname "Issah the rock" because of his strength in the defence....

 at Kotoko in January 2006, and his performances in recent months were enough to convince coach Ratomir Dujkovic

Ratomir Dujkovic

Ratomir Dujković is a Serbian football manager and a former player.-Playing career:...

 to take him to Germany.

His impressive performances at the World Cup grabbed the attentions of a number of big European clubs. After trials at Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 and Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

 he eventually joined Russian club FC Saturn

FC Saturn Moscow Oblast

FC Saturn Ramenskoye was a Russian football club, based in the Moscow suburb of Ramenskoye. It is also known as FC Saturn Moscow Region . The club was founded in 1946...

.

Shilla's contract with Saturn was cancelled in 2008. He then returned to Ghana and had to spend three years recovering from an ankle injury. He restarted his football career in 2011, signing with top-flight club Real Tamale United

Real Tamale United

Real Tamale United, often abbreviated as RTU, is a football club based in Tamale, Ghana. They are a member of the Ghana Telecom Premier League. Their home stadium is Kaladan Park.-History:...

.

Personal life

His older brother Shilla Alhassan, plays with him by Real Tamale United

Real Tamale United

Real Tamale United, often abbreviated as RTU, is a football club based in Tamale, Ghana. They are a member of the Ghana Telecom Premier League. Their home stadium is Kaladan Park.-History:...

and played formerly for Guan United FC.