Former Ghana international Asamoah Gyan has described his move to the Premier League as the fulfilment of a long-held ambition.
Following a standout performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Gyan secured a transfer to Sunderland from French side Stade Rennais for a club-record fee of £13 million.
The striker made an immediate impact at the Stadium of Light, scoring on his debut against Wigan Athletic on September 11, 2011, after coming off the bench to replace Danny Welbeck.
In a recent interview with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, Gyan revealed that playing in England’s top flight had always been a goal.
“It has always been my dream to play in the Premier League. Watching Tony Yeboah, I said to myself that I want to play in the Premier League, so my mind was made up. I had the option to stay at Stade Rennais, but I told them this is my time to go to the Premier League,” he said.
“Coming in, I was ready to deliver, and on my debut, I scored, and everything started getting better,” he added.
After 34 appearances and 10 goals for Sunderland, Gyan surprised many by moving on loan to UAE side Al Ain on September 10, 2011, a move that was later made permanent the following season.
