Asamoah Gyan
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Asamoah Gyan (born 22 November 1985) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who last played as a striker for Legon Cities FC and is the former captain of the Ghanaian national team.
Gyan began his career in 2003 with Ghanaian Premier League club Liberty Professionals scoring ten goals in sixteen matches 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.
In 2008, Gyan joined Ligue 1 club Rennes, netting fourteen times in forty-eight league matches during two seasons.
In 2010, Gyan joined Premier League club Sunderland in a then club record fee in excess of £13million breaking the club’s transfer record going on to net ten times for the The Black Cats in thirty-four Premier League matches across two seasons.
In 2011, Gyan joined Al Ain of the UAE Pro-League on loan and became the league’s top-goal scorer, scoring 24 times in 27 matches. In the following season, Gyan permanently joined Al Ain and once again became the league’s top-goal scorer with 28 goals in 32 matches helping Al Ain retain the UAE Pro-League title.
In the 2013/2014 season, Gyan scored on 44 occasions in 40 matches with Al Ain.
Gyan is the all-time leading goal scorer of the Ghana national team, with 51 international goals. He represented the Black Stars of Ghana at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments. At 28 years old, Asamoah Gyan became Africa’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with six (goals) when he equalised for the Black Stars during their key Group G match against the A Seleção of Portugal on Thursday, 26th June 2014, surpassing the tally of Cameroonian legend Roger Milla.
Gyan has also represented Ghana at the 2004 Summer Olympics and in seven Africa Cup of Nations in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, helping them finish in third-place in 2008 and runner-up in 2010 and 2015.
Asamoah Gyan was the first player in history to score in nine consecutive international tournaments from the World Cup in 2006 to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2017, holding the record for four years before Ronaldo levelled in 2021 (during the Euro 2020).
He launched his memoir, titled “LeGYANdry” on 30th April, 2022.
Individual accolades
- BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2010
- CAF Team of the Year: 2010, 2013, 2014
- UAE Pro League Top Scorer: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
- AFC Champions League Top Scorer: 2014
- AFC Champions League Dream Team: 2014
- AFC Foreign Player of the Year: 2014
- Ghana Player of the Year: 2010, 2014
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