Asamoah Gyan retires from Black Stars

Black Stars skipper Asamoah Gyan has retired from the Senior National team.

Gyan who was Ghana's all-time scorer with 51goals in 106 appearances, call it a day in a release on his social media handle.

"In all, I would say the last years have been the proudest moments in my career as the captain under the managerial leadership of Coach Akwasi Appiah."

"I stood solidly behind my Coach during the difficult times in Brazil and in some cases his tenure and my captaincy would not suffer challenges and to ride with the assertion "A Ghanaian coach can do it"

"Upon Consultation with my family and team, and as an active footballer and captain of the National team, if the decision of the coach is to give captaincy of the tournament to another player while I am named in the team for the tournament."

 “I wish to recuse myself from the [AFCON] tournament]. I also wish to retire from the national team permanently; not pretending my presence would not fuel the purported undermining the country has seen under my captaincy,” portions of the statement read.

 

Asamoah Gyan's Club Career

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, breaking the club's transfer record and netting on ten occasions in thirty-four Premier League matches during two seasons.

In 2011, Gyan joined Al Ain of the UAE Pro-League on loan and became the league's top-goalscorer, scoring 24 times in 27 matches. In the following season, Gyan permanently joined Al Ain and once again became the league's top-goalscorer while he helped Al Ain retain the UAE Pro-League title, scoring an impressive 28 goals in 32 matches. In the 2013–14 season, Gyan scored on 44 occasions in 40 matches with Al Ain.

Black Stars

He represented Ghana at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. With 6 goals, he is the top African goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. Gyan has also represented Ghana at the 2004 Summer Olympics and in seven Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017, helping them finish in third-place in 2008 and runner-up in 2010 and 2015.

In 2010, Asamoah Gyan missed the crucial penalty against Uruguay during Ghana's impressive tournament in FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It was the last kick of the game.

Had he converted the kick, Ghana would have become the first ever African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Gyan's retirement comes a few weeks to the AFCON 2019 tournament to be staged in Egypt.

Achievement

• 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 Foreign Player of the Year: 2014
• UAE Pro League: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
• UAE President's Cup: 2013–14
• Arabian Gulf Super Cup: 2012

Read also:

• AFCON 2019: Ghana can end trophy drought with T.B Joshua's help - Richard Kingson

• AFCON 2019: Asamoah Gyan declares himself fit ahead of tournament

• Al Ain move changed my life financially- Asamoah Gyan