Asamoah Gyan

Asamoah Gyan
Gyan with Ghana in 2014
Personal information
Full name Asamoah Gyan[1]
Date of birth (1985-11-22) 22 November 1985 (age 38)[1]
Place of birth Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003 Liberty Professionals 16 (10)
2003–2008 Udinese 39 (11)
2004–2006 → Modena (loan) 53 (15)
2008–2010 Rennes 48 (14)
2010–2012 Sunderland 34 (10)
2011–2012 → Al Ain (loan) 18 (22)
2012–2015 Al Ain 65 (73)
2015–2017 Shanghai SIPG 20 (7)
2016–2017 → Shabab Al Ahli (loan) 14 (6)
2017–2019 Kayserispor 26 (5)
2019–2020 NorthEast United 8 (4)
2020–2021 Legon Cities 6 (0)
Total 347 (177)
International career
2003–2019 Ghana 109 (51)
Medal record
Football
Representing  Ghana
Runner-up Africa Cup of Nations 2010
Runner-up Africa Cup of Nations 2015
Third place Africa Cup of Nations 2008
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Asamoah Gyan (/ˌæsəˈmoʊə ˈdʒɑːn/ ASS-ə-MOH-ə JAHN;[3] born 22 November 1985) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is a former captain of the Ghana national team.[4][5][6]

Gyan began his career in 2003 with Ghana Premier League club Liberty Professionals, scoring ten goals in sixteen matches. He then spent three seasons with Serie A club Udinese via two seasons loan at Modena, netting on fifteen occasions in 53 league matches and at Udinese where he scored 11 times in 39 league matches.[7] In 2008, Gyan joined Ligue 1 club Rennes, netting fourteen times in forty-eight league matches during two seasons.[8] In 2010, Gyan joined then Premier League club Sunderland, breaking the club's transfer record and netting on ten occasions in thirty-four Premier League matches during two seasons.[9]

In 2011, Gyan joined Al Ain of the UAE Pro League on loan and became the league's top goalscorer, scoring 22 times in 18 matches.[10] In the following season, Gyan permanently joined Al Ain and helped them retain the Pro League title, once again, finishing as the league's top goalscorer with an impressive 31 goals in 22 matches.[11] In the 2013–14 league season, Gyan finished top scorer for a record third time, with 29 goals in 26 matches.[12]

Gyan is the all-time leading goalscorer of the Ghana national team, with 51 goals.[13] He represented Ghana at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. With six goals, he is the top African goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. Gyan also represented Ghana at the 2004 Summer Olympics and in seven Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019), helping them finish in third place in 2008 and as runners-up in 2010 and 2015. He launched his memoir, titled "LeGYANdry" at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra.[14] On 20 June 2023, Gyan announced his retirement from active football.[15]

  1. ^ a b "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 11 June 2014. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  2. ^ Asamoah Gyan at Soccerway
  3. ^ "Full: Exclusive Interview with Asamoah Gyan [Part 1]". YouTube. Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV. 15 January 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Asamoah Gyan retires over captaincy". www.graphic.com.gh. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  5. ^ Somuah-Annan, Grace Afua (21 June 2023). ""Visionary": Asamoah Gyan says he wanted to play with Black Stars since class 6". Yen.com.gh. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  6. ^ Association, Ghana Football. "Gyan made Black Stars captain". Ghana FA. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Asamoah signs Friuli deal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rennes : Asamoah Gyan signe 4 ans was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Asamoah Gyan joins Sunderland for record £13m fee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gyan deal confirmed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Final insult: Sunderland make loss on Gyan as he agrees £140k-a-week move after tax". Daily Mirror. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Asamoah Gyan inks contract extension at Al Ain was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "Black Stars vacant job: What Asamoah Gyan, three former players have said". GhanaWeb. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  14. ^ Ayamga, Emmanuel (6 May 2022). "Money raised from Asamoah Gyan's book launch to be used for charity". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Social media reacts to Asamoah Gyan's retirement". Ghana Soccernet. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.