Asamoah Gyan, a striker from Ghana and a legend in his own sport, made his retirement from the game official on Tuesday. He was 37 years old.
“It’s a difficult stage in any player’s career, a moment that all footballers dread. But when nature takes over, a little voice starts ringing in your ears… +It’s time…” he told a press conference in Accra.
“I heard that voice very clearly, and I succumbed to it: it’s time,” continued Ghana’s all-time top scorer, with 51 international goals to his name and a career spanning more than 20 years. “It’s time to put away the shirt and shoes, because I’m officially retiring from active football.
The former captain of Ghana competed in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and seven Africa Cup of Nations competitions.
He is also well-known for missing a last-second penalty that would have made the 2010 World Cup in South Africa’s Black Stars the first African team to advance to the semifinals.
He has also represented a number of elite teams, including Sunderland in the Premier League, Udinese in Serie A, and Rennes in Ligue 1. He is known by the nickname “Baby Jet.”
He is anticipated to stay in the football industry, particularly as a television consultant.
