Asamoah Gyan facts for kids

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Asamoah Gyan

Gyan with Ghana in 2014

Personal information

Full name

Asamoah Gyan

Date of birth

22 November 1985 (age 39)

Place of birth

Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana

Height

1.86 m

Playing position

Striker

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2003

Liberty Professionals

(10)

2003–2008

Udinese

(11)

2004–2006

→ Modena (loan)

(15)

2008–2010

Rennes

(14)

2010–2012

Sunderland

(10)

2011–2012

→ Al Ain (loan)

(22)

2012–2015

Al Ain

(73)

2015–2017

Shanghai SIPG

(7)

2016–2017

→ Shabab Al Ahli (loan)

(6)

2017–2019

Kayserispor

(5)

2019–2020

NorthEast United

(4)

2020–2021

Legon Cities

(0)

Total

347

(177)

National team

2003–2019

Ghana

109

(51)

Honours


Football
Representing Ghana
Runner-up	Africa Cup of Nations	2010
Runner-up	Africa Cup of Nations	2015
Third	Africa Cup of Nations	2008

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Asamoah Gyan (born 22 November 1985) is a famous Ghanaian former professional footballer. He was a powerful striker and even became the captain of the Ghana national team.

Gyan started his career in 2003 with Liberty Professionals in Ghana. He then played for several clubs in Europe, including Udinese in Italy and Rennes in France. In 2010, he joined Sunderland in England's top league.

Later, Gyan moved to Al Ain in the UAE, where he became a top goalscorer. He is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Ghana national team, with 51 goals. He played 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 officially retired from playing football on 20 June 2023.

About Asamoah Gyan

Gyan was born in Accra, Ghana. He is the youngest child of Baffour Gyan Mensah and Cecilia Amoako. His older brother, Baffour Gyan, was also a professional footballer. Asamoah Gyan has three children: Rafael, Frederick, and Floyd.

Club Football Journey

Asamoah Gyan played for many different football clubs during his career. He was known for scoring lots of goals!

Starting in Ghana: Liberty Professionals

Gyan began his football journey at Liberty Professionals in Accra, Ghana. In his first season, he played 16 league matches and scored 10 goals. This made him one of the top goalscorers in the league.

Playing in Italy: Udinese and Modena

After playing in Ghana, Gyan moved to Italy. He signed with Udinese in 2003. To gain more experience, he spent two years on loan at Modena, a club in Italy's second division. He scored 15 goals in 53 matches for Modena. When he returned to Udinese, he continued to show his talent. He scored 11 goals in 39 league matches for Udinese.

Moving to France: Rennes

Gyan training whilst at Stade Rennais F.C.

In 2008, Gyan joined Rennes, a club in France's top league. He played 48 matches for Rennes and scored 14 goals. In the 2009–10 season, he scored 13 league goals, showing how good he was at finding the back of the net.

Time in England: Sunderland

On 31 August 2010, Gyan made a big move to Sunderland in the Premier League, England's highest football league. He scored in his very first game for Sunderland. He quickly became a key player, scoring important goals against teams like Stoke City and Chelsea. In his first season, he scored 10 league goals.

Success in the UAE: Al Ain

In 2011, Gyan moved to Al Ain in the UAE Pro League. He joined them on a loan deal at first. He had an amazing season, scoring 22 goals in just 18 matches, making him the league's top goalscorer.

The next season, Gyan joined Al Ain permanently. He helped them win the league title again and was the top goalscorer with 31 goals in 22 matches. He continued to be the top scorer for a third time in the 2013–14 season, scoring 29 goals. He was a huge success at Al Ain.

Later Career: China, Turkey, India, and Ghana

After his time at Al Ain, Gyan played for Shanghai SIPG in China. He then moved to Kayserispor in Turkey. In 2019, he joined NorthEast United in India. He scored 4 goals in 8 games there.

Finally, in 2020, Gyan returned to Ghana to play for Legon Cities. This was a special moment as it marked his return to the Ghanaian league after 17 years. He played his last professional match in 2021.

Retirement from Football

Asamoah Gyan announced his retirement from playing football on 20 June 2023. He said it was time to say goodbye to his playing career. He thanked his country, family, and teammates for their support. Gyan also shared that he plans to stay involved in football, perhaps by coaching or helping young players.

Playing for Ghana

Gyan playing for Ghana in 2008

Asamoah Gyan played for the Ghana national team, known as the Black Stars, for many years. He is a true legend for his country.

Early Days and First World Cup

Gyan made his first international appearance for Ghana when he was just 17 years old. He scored a goal on his debut against Somalia in 2003. This made him the youngest player ever to score for Ghana.

He helped Ghana qualify for their first ever FIFA World Cup in 2006. In that tournament, he scored Ghana's first ever World Cup goal against the Czech Republic.

World Cup Heroics

Gyan played a huge role in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored important goals, including a penalty against Serbia and another against Australia. In the Round of 16, he scored in extra time against the United States, helping Ghana reach the quarter-finals. This was only the third time an African team had reached this stage.

He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored against Germany and Portugal. These goals made him the top African goalscorer in World Cup history, with a total of six goals.

Africa Cup of Nations

Gyan also represented Ghana in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped his team reach the finals in 2010 and 2015, finishing as runners-up both times. He also helped Ghana finish in third place in 2008.

Ghana's All-Time Top Scorer

Gyan is Ghana's all-time leading goalscorer, with an amazing 51 goals in 109 appearances. He holds many records for his country and is celebrated as one of Ghana's greatest footballers.

Beyond the Pitch

Asamoah Gyan has also explored other interests outside of football.

Boxing Promotion

In 2012, Gyan started his own boxing promotion company called "Baby Jet Promotions." He aimed to help promote boxing in Ghana.

Baby Jet Airlines

Gyan was granted a license to start his own airline called "Baby Jet Airlines" in 2017. This showed his interest in business and helping his country.

Playing Tennis

To stay fit after injuries, Gyan started playing tennis in 2020. He even helped organize a tennis tournament to promote the sport.

Achievements and Awards

Asamoah Gyan has won many awards and set several records during his career.

Club Honours

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

International Honours (with 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 Foreign Player of the Year: 2014
Ghana Player of the Year: 2010, 2014

Records

Ghana national team all-time top goalscorer: 51 goals
Most FIFA World Cup goals scored by an African player: 6 goals
Most FIFA World Cup goals for Ghana: 6 goals
Youngest goalscorer for Ghana national team: 17 years, 362 days
Most tournaments representing Ghana at Africa Cup of Nations: 7 tournaments (shared record)

Images for kids

Asamoah Gyan playing against England in 2011
Gyan playing for Ghana at the AFCON 2015