Ghana football legend and former Sunderland forward Asamoah Gyan has announced his retirement from football.
Speaking at a press conference in Ghana, Gyan, 37, said it is time for him to bow out of the football world.
“I want to take this great opportunity, a stage that is difficult in every footballer’s career, a moment all footballers do not wish, but when nature dawns, that thin voice will keep echoing into the ears,” he said.
“It is time… that voice has been clear in my ears, and I have succumbed to it, it is time.
“It is time to hang up the jersey and boots in glory as I officially retire from active football.”
Gyan was nicknamed, “Baby jet” because of his incredible speed and prolific goal-scoring stats. He was the face of Ghana senior national team.
Gyan played for 10 different clubs outside the shores of Ghana, and had spells with Udinese in Serie A, Sunderland in the Premier League, and Rennes in French Ligue 1.
He is Ghana all-time top scorer with 51 goals from 109 caps and AFCON 2015 Champion.
Gyan hit the peak of his career at Al Ain in United Arab Emirates when he won the title three times with the club, including the Golden Boot Award for three consecutive seasons.
Who is Asamoah Gyan?
Asamoah Gyan is former Ghana professional footballer who played as a forward for Ghana national team and different clubs in Europe and Asia.
Gyan started his professional career with an indigenous Ghanaian club Liberty professionals in 2003 before making his first European move to Udinese in Serie A in 2008.
Gyan would go ahead to play for 11 different clubs across the world in an 18-year career. He is Ghana national team legend, having captained the team and emerging as the all-time top scorer for the Black Stars with 51 goals.
Asamoah Gyan stats
Gyan was a prolific goal scorer. At Liberty professionals in Ghana, he made 16 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals. At Udinese in Serie A, he made 39 appearances for the team, scoring 11 goals.
During his spell with Udinese, Gyan spent two seasons on loan with Modena from 2004 to 2006, scoring 15 goals in 50 appearances for the club.
In 2008, he moved to France, joining Rennes where he scored 14 goals in 48 appearances before switching to the Premier League to play for Sunderland.
At Sunderland, Gyan scored 10 goals in 34 appearances. After a year with Sunderland, he was loaned to Ai Ain in United Arab Emirates. During his loan spell with the club, the Ghanaian footballer took his goal tally to an incredible heights. He scored 22 goals in his 18 appearances for the club.
Due to a prolific loan debut with the club, his loan move was made permanent the next season. Gyan stayed three years more at Ai Ain, scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for Ai Ain before leaving the club to join Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG in 2015, where his career started to decline.
His two-year stint with Shanghai SIPG saw the Ghanaian score 7 goals in 20 appearances. He was loaned back to United Arab Emirates where he played for a season for Al Ahli, scoring 6 goals in 14 appearances.
In 2017, Asamoah Gyan returned to Europe and pit his tent with Turkish side, Kayserispor, scoring 5 goals in 26 appearances after two years with the club.
Asamoah Gyan’s club career continued to spiral downwards since he left Ai Ain in United Arab Emirates. His last stint with a foreign club was with NorthEast United in Indian Super League. At NorthEast United, he scored 4 goals in 8 games. After a year with the club, Gyan returned back to his homeland Ghana and signed for Legon Cities.
He made 5 appearances for Legon Cities with no goal. Throughout his 18-year old career, Asamoah Gyan made 346 appearances, scoring 177 goals.
National team stat
Asamoah made his international debut for Ghana against Somalia at the tender age of 17. He scored on his debut in the 90th minute, coming on from the bench. Gyan played for Ghana national team for 16 years from 2003 to 2019. He won 105 caps, scoring 51 goals to become the all-time top scorer.
Asamoah Gyan honors
Asamoah won three club trophies all with AI Ain in United Arab Emirates. He won the UAE Pro League 3 times, UAE President’s Cup, and UAE Super Cup.
Gyan won 2015 AFCON with Ghana national team. He won the BBC African Footballer of the Year in 2010 and made CAF Team of the year three times. Gyan was UAE Pro League top scorer for three consecutive seasons in 2012, 2013, and 2014. He has won other several individual awards as a footballer.
Asamoah Gyan age
Asamoah Gyan is 37 years old. He was born on November 22, 1985.
Asamoah Gyan wife
Gyan is a father of three. He got married to Gifty Gyan in 2013. They have three children together, Fredrick Gyan, Rafael Gyan and Floyd Gyan.
The couple were enmeshed in divorce scandals and calls for a break up of the union. In 2018, Asamoah Gyan questioned the paternity of his three kids with reports emerging Gifty has opted for bigamy, getting married to another man.
In 2019, Ghanaian court ordered Gyan to pay Gifty, who has been estranged from him following the allegations, £37k divorce fee.
Asamoah Gyan net worth
As of 2023, Asamoah Gyan is deemed as the richest Ghanaian footballer, having amass a fortune from his legendary 18-year-old career in football. His net worth is estimated at £30million.
