Top 10 things you need to know about Asamoah Gyan

By Mirror Football in Football Spy

Published 17:35 01/09/10

Top-ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-Asamoah-Gyan

Sunderland left it to the last minute to secure their record breaking transfer of Asamoah Gyan.

With the clock ticking, and Steve Bruce perspiring profusely, the club announced they had got their man with only 15 minutes to spare.

But who is this man from Rennes that Sunderland have splashed cash for? Here's MirrorFootball's Chris Bloor to guide you through all you need to know.

1) Asamoah Gyan was born on November 22nd, 1985, in the Ghanaian town of Accra.

2) For him football began at the Accra Academy, but he was soon picked up by the local team, Liberty Professionals, who play in Ghana's top division. Perhaps not the most famous club, but Liberty pride themselves on having nurtured some of the country's best talent, including John Pantsil, Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien.

3) Ten goals in sixteen league appearances was enough for Udinese to snap up the 17 year-old in the summer of 2003. He was one in a spate of Ghanaian footballers to hit Serie A at this time, along with Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari and John Mensah.

4) Moving to Italy acted as a catalyst for his international career. In November 2003 - three days before his 18th birthday - he announced his arrival onto the international scene by scoring on his debut against Somalia in a crucial World Cup qualifying game. This made him the youngest player ever to score for Ghana, and quickly made him an object of the fans' affections. He scored four goals in seven matches during the successful qualifying campaign. When the 2006 World Cup finals came around he was quick off the mark again, scoring after only 68 seconds of their opening group game against the Czech Republic, becoming Ghana's first ever player to find the net in the World Cup finals. If I were Wigan - Sunderland's next opponents - then I would be prepared, because this guy tends to hit the ground running.

5) After just a year with Udinese he was struggling to get into the first team, so he was loaned out to Serie B side Modena for two years in 2004 where he scored 15 goals in 53 league matches.

6) 2008 was an eventful year for Gyan, as he almost walked out, along with his brother Baffour, from the African Cup of Nations following criticism of the team. Having been convinced by teammates to remain, he helped Ghana go on to finish third.

7) Following his histrionics he returned to Udinese, but was dogged by injury, and never played for the club again. He moved to French side Rennes that summer for a fee of €8million. Before moving to the Stadium of Light he had notched up 14 goals in 47 appearances for the Ligue 1 side.

8) It wasn't until the World Cup in South Africa that he really made a name for himself. He scored in both of Ghana's opening games, earning them four points, and securing qualification to the last 16, where they faced USA. In a tight affair Gyan shattered the Amercian's dreams in extra-time, making Ghana only the third African nation to reach the quarter-finals, along with Cameroon and Senegal.

9) Sadly for Gyan it was the heartache suffered against Uruguay that will stick in people's minds. With penalties looming Ghana were awarded a spot-kick in the last minute of extra time, but Gyan smashed it into the crossbar. He still stepped up to take the first penalty in the shoot-out, but despite scoring his, Ghana were knocked out.

Here's that miss again, as if any of us have forgotten.

It's safe to say Desailly won't either. Why power Gyan!

10) Over the years he's developed a reputation as Africa's answer to Michael Jackson. For dancing, before you ask. Here's why:

But he's not just a dancer, here he is appearing in a Castro the Destroyer video for his song 'African Girls'. Can we expect a remix now he's moved to Sunderland? 'Wearside girls' perhaps? Over to you Asamoah...