Asamoah Gyan facts for kids
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Gyan with Ghana in 2014
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Asamoah Gyan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 November 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Asamoah Gyan, born on November 22, 1985, is a famous Ghanaian former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player who focused on scoring goals. He was also a former captain of the Ghana national team.
Gyan started his football journey in 2003 with a club called Liberty Professionals in Ghana. He quickly showed his talent by scoring ten goals in sixteen matches. After that, he played for several clubs in Europe and Asia, including Udinese in Italy, Rennes in France, and Sunderland in England. He also played for Al Ain in the UAE and Shanghai SIPG in China.
He is known as the all-time top goalscorer for the Ghana national team, with an amazing 51 goals. He played for Ghana in three FIFA World Cups: 2006, 2010, and 2014. With six goals, he holds the record for the most goals scored by an African player in World Cup history. Gyan also represented Ghana in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped his team finish third in 2008 and reach the finals in 2010 and 2015. He officially retired from playing football on June 20, 2023.
Contents
Personal Life
Asamoah Gyan is the youngest child of Baffour Gyan Mensah and the late Madam Cecilia Amoako. His older brother, Baffour Gyan, was also a professional footballer. Asamoah Gyan was married to Gifty Sandra Dzamesi, and they have three children: Rafael, Frederick, and Floyd.
Club Football Journey
Starting at Liberty Professionals
Gyan grew up in Accra, Ghana. He went to Seven Great Princess Academy and then to Accra Academy. He began his football career at Liberty Professionals, a Ghanaian club in Accra. In his first season, he played 16 league matches and scored 10 goals. This made him the third-highest goal scorer in the league that season.
Time with Udinese
In 2003, Gyan joined Udinese, an Italian club. To gain more experience, he spent two years on loan at Modena, a club in Italy's second division. After playing well in the 2006 World Cup, many clubs became interested in him. He returned to Udinese and signed a new contract to stay until 2012. He scored eight goals for Udinese in the 2006–07 season. However, injuries affected his playing time in the 2007–08 season.
Playing for Rennes
On July 11, 2008, Gyan moved to Rennes, a club in France, for four years. He played 48 matches for Rennes and scored 14 goals. He became well-known for his goal-scoring skills, especially in the 2009–10 season, where he scored 13 league goals.
Joining Sunderland
On August 31, 2010, Gyan signed with Premier League club Sunderland in England. This was a record transfer fee for the club at the time. He wore the number 33 shirt. He scored in his very first game for Sunderland as a substitute. He also scored two goals in his first start for the club against Stoke City. Gyan continued to score important goals, including one against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He finished his first season in England with 10 league goals.
Success with Al Ain
On September 10, 2011, Gyan went on a season-long loan to Al Ain in the UAE. He quickly became the league's top goalscorer, netting 22 goals in just 18 matches. Because of his great performance, Gyan permanently joined Al Ain in July 2012. He helped them win the league title again and was the top scorer for three seasons in a row. In the 2013–14 season, he scored an impressive 29 goals in 26 matches.
Moving to Shanghai SIPG
On July 7, 2015, Gyan moved to Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG. His weekly salary made him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world at that time.
Later Club Career
After Shanghai SIPG, Gyan played for Shabab Al-Ahli on loan. He then joined the Turkish club Kayserispor on July 5, 2017. In September 2019, he moved to NorthEast United in India, where he scored 4 goals in 8 appearances before an injury ended his season. On November 1, 2020, Gyan returned to Ghana to play for Legon Cities, marking his return to the Ghana Premier League after 17 years.
Retirement from Playing
Asamoah Gyan announced his retirement from active football on June 20, 2023. He said it was time to end his playing career and thanked his country, family, and teammates. He also shared his plans to stay involved in football through coaching, business, and finding new young talents.
International Football Journey
Gyan made his first international appearance for Ghana when he was just 17 years old. He scored a goal on his debut against Somalia on November 19, 2003. This made him the youngest player ever to score for Ghana.
He played a key role in helping Ghana qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2006. In that World Cup, he scored Ghana's first-ever World Cup goal against the Czech Republic. He also played in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Gyan was a star player for Ghana, scoring three important goals and helping his team reach the finals.
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At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Gyan scored a penalty in Ghana's first match against Serbia, leading to a 1-0 win. He also scored against Australia. In the Round of 16, he scored in extra time against the United States, helping Ghana become only the third African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. In the quarter-final against Uruguay, he missed a crucial penalty kick at the very end of extra time, and Ghana lost in a penalty shootout.
After missing another penalty in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, Gyan briefly took a break from international football but returned in May 2012. On June 7, 2013, he became Ghana's all-time leading goalscorer.
In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Gyan captained Ghana. He scored against Germany and then against Portugal. This goal made him the top African goalscorer in World Cup history with six goals.
At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, he scored a last-minute winning goal against Algeria. Gyan officially retired from international football on June 20, 2023. He holds the record as Ghana's all-time top scorer with 51 goals in 109 games. He also has the record for the most World Cup goals by an African player.
Beyond Football
Boxing Promotion
In June 2012, Asamoah Gyan started his own boxing promotion company in Ghana. He wanted to help young boxers in his country achieve their dreams, following in the footsteps of famous Ghanaian boxers like Azumah Nelson.
Baby Jet Airlines
In October 2017, Asamoah Gyan received a license to start his own airline called Baby Jet Airlines. This allowed him to begin the process of getting his airline ready to fly.
Playing Tennis
To stay fit after injuries and a long break from football, Gyan started playing tennis in 2020. His promotion company also helped organize a tennis tournament to encourage the sport.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liberty Professionals | 2003 | Ghana Premier League | 16 | 10 | – | – | – | – | 16 | 10 | ||||
| Udinese | 2003–04 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | Serie A | 25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 26 | 8 | ||||
| 2007–08 | Serie A | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 13 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 39 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 11 | ||
| Modena (loan) | 2004–05 | Serie B | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 28 | 7 | |||
| 2005–06 | Serie B | 25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 26 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 53 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 15 | ||
| Rennes | 2008–09 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 20 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 30 | 13 | |||
| 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 48 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 14 | ||
| Sunderland | 2010–11 | Premier League | 31 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 33 | 11 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 34 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 11 | ||
| Al Ain (loan) | 2011–12 | UAE Pro League | 18 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 27 | |
| Al Ain | 2012–13 | UAE Pro League | 22 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 32 |
| 2013–14 | UAE Pro League | 26 | 29 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 47 | |
| 2014–15 | UAE Pro League | 17 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 22 | |
| Total | 83 | 95 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 22 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 123 | 128 | ||
| Shanghai SIPG | 2015 | Chinese Super League | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 11 | 5 | |||
| 2016 | Chinese Super League | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | – | 15 | 3 | |||
| Total | 20 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 | ||
| Shabab Al-Ahli (loan) | 2016–17 | UAE Pro League | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 11 |
| Kayserispor | 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 12 | 1 | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | 17 | 4 | |||
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 17 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 9 | ||
| NorthEast United | 2019–20 | Indian Super League | 8 | 4 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 4 | ||||
| Legon Cities | 2020–21 | Ghana Premier League | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 7 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 347 | 177 | 26 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 34 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 424 | 221 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2003 | 2 | 1 |
| 2004 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 5 | 5 | |
| 2006 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2007 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 17 | 7 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 15 | 11 | |
| 2014 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 109 | 51 | |
Honours and Awards
Club Trophies
- Rennes
- Coupe de France runner-up: 2008–09
- Al Ain
- UAE Pro League: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
- UAE President's Cup: 2013–14
- UAE Super Cup: 2012
- Shabab Al Ahli
- UAE League Cup: 2016–17
- UAE Super Cup: 2016
National Team Achievements
- Ghana
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2010, 2015
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2008
Individual Awards
- BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2010
- African Footballer of the Year runner-up: 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
- GCC Golden Boot: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
- UAE President's Cup top scorer: 2013–14, 2014–15
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2010, 2013
- Ghana Men's Player of the Year Award: 2012
- Ghana Football Awards Player of the Decade: 2011–2020
- Ghana Player of the Year: 2010, 2014
- Calcio Trade Ball Order of the Star Award: 2017
Records Held
- Al Ain second all-time top scorer: 128 goals
- Al Ain second all-time Pro League top scorer: 95 goals
- Al Ain most league goals in a season: 31 goals (2012–13 season)
- Al Ain second-most AFC Champions League goals: 18 goals
- Most UAE Pro League top scorer awards: 3 (shared with Fahad Khamees, Kodjo Laba)
- Most GCC Golden Boot (Arabian Golden Boot) awards: 3
- Ghana national team all-time top goalscorer: 51 goals
- Ghana national team second all-time appearance holder: 109 appearances
- Most FIFA World Cup goals for Ghana: 6 goals
- Youngest goalscorer for Ghana national team: 17 years, 362 days (for Ghana vs Somalia, 2003)
- Most tournaments representing Ghana at Africa Cup of Nations: 7 tournaments (shared with André Ayew)
- Most Africa Cup of Nations tournaments with a goal: 6 tournaments (shared with Samuel Eto'o, Kalusha Bwalya, André Ayew)
- Most FIFA World Cup goals scored by an African player: 6 goals
See also
In Spanish: Asamoah Gyan para niños
- List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
