Legendary Black Stars of Ghana striker, Asamoah Gyan, has officially announced his retirement from professional football.
Gyan’s announcement came during his speech at The 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings held at the Accra International Conference Centre on Tuesday evening.
The 37-year-old, who last played a competitive match almost three years ago, has now decided to bring an end to his illustrious career that began two decades ago.
During his emotional retirement speech, Gyan addressed the audience, stating: “I want to take this great opportunity, a stage that is difficult in every footballer’s career, a moment all footballers do not wish, but when nature dawns, that thin voice will keep echoing into the ears… it is time… that voice has been clear in my ears, and I have succumbed to it, it is time. It is time to hand the jersey and boots in glory as I officially retire from active football.”
Gyan’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable journey that saw him become Ghana’s all-time leading scorer, netting an impressive 51 goals in 109 appearances for the national team.
He represented Ghana in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006, 2010, 2014) and played a pivotal role in their historic run to the quarter-finals in the 2010 edition held in South Africa.
At club level, he played for several clubs around the world, including Udinese in Italy, Rennes in France, Sunderland in the English Premier League, and Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates, where he enjoyed tremendous success and became the club’s all-time leading scorer.
He helped Ghana to two Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2010 and 2015 where they lost to Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire respectively.
