Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has opened up on why his promising spell at Sunderland was so brief, despite making an immediate impact in the Premier League.
Gyan joined the Black Cats from French side Stade Rennais in a club-record £13 million deal following his standout performance at the 2010 World Cup. He quickly became a fan favorite, netting ten goals in 34 league appearances during his only season at the club.
Despite his success, Gyan made a surprising move on loan to UAE side Al Ain—a deal that was later made permanent after his stellar performances.
In an interview with Rio Ferdinand, Gyan revealed that the transfer was largely influenced by Sunderland.
“Surprisingly, my best time was in the UAE. I did great at Sunderland, but unfortunately, I had to leave,” he said.
“There were a lot of stories at that time, but it was Sunderland who asked me to leave because of the deal that came in. It was a loan deal, and the club felt they could capitalise on it. I thought I could go there and then come back. That was my plan, but when I got there, I fell in love with the place. I had to focus on the option to buy, and I went on to fall in love with the club,” he added.
Gyan went on to enjoy five prolific seasons at Al Ain, scoring 95 goals in 83 appearances, before moving on to Chinese side Shanghai SIPG.
