Asamoah Gyan has revealed that injuries thwarted his ambition of playing for Asante Kotoko before retiring from professional football.
The former Ghana captain had consistently expressed his desire to don the Kotoko jersey before hanging up his boots, but by the time he retired in June 2023, Kotoko was not listed on his resume.
Gyan’s last stint was with Legon Cities in the Ghana Premier League before bidding farewell to his illustrious career. While rumours suggested that he chose Cities over Kotoko due to a more lucrative offer from the Accra-based club, Gyan clarified on Onua TV Monday that injuries were the main factor.
He stated, “I wanted to play for Kotoko before my retirement but injuries hampered my ambitions. Even at Legon Cities, I opted to play a few minutes to gain full fitness. But once I gained fitness, injuries struck again. That was how I began thinking of retirement. I really wanted to play for Kotoko.”
Gyan, who began his career at Liberty Professionals, enjoyed success with clubs like Sunderland, Rennes, and Udinese. However, it was at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates where he made a significant impact.
He stands as the club’s second all-time leading scorer and the league’s second all-time leading scorer, having clinched the Golden Boot in the league three times.
On the international stage, Gyan holds the record for Ghana’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals and holds the distinction of being the African player with the most FIFA World Cup goals, tallying six goals.