Former Blackstars captain Asamoah Gyan has surprisingly revealed how his former English club Sunderland engineered his move away from the club to United Arab Emirates side Al Ain.
Gyan crossed carpets from the most televised league to the Gulf region at the height of his career, in a move that baffled his then manager, Steve Bruce, who felt betrayed by his top maxman he signed in a deal that cost the club a little over £12m.
“That’s what everyone is about. Whether you’re a journalist or a road sweeper, you want to get the best out of yourself. People want to leave for ambition but it baffles me that today, the way it is, and we have to just submit to it.
The former Black Cats striker has squashed opinions that he moved to Al Ain because of the money but insisted Sunderland found the offer from the Gulf club too tempting to resist hence his move away.
“When a player is performing definitely Clubs will come chasing and the deal from UAE looked very good,” the 34-year old told GTV Sports Plus.
“I was going for one season for 6million pounds and they (Sunderland) were interested because it was good money, they were even pushing for the move because the money involved was good for a loan deal,” he added.
He continues:“Personally I was concerned about the fans, about how they will feel and whether they will be happy if I move because I was the top man there, Darren Bent had left so I was their lead man and they liked me.
“But they (Sunderland) told they knew how to deal with the fans and that I should accept the move to UAE.
“I went there and the atmosphere was great and I felt in love with the team and the fans. They treated me well so I decided to stay after my loan deal.”
The former Stade Rennes striker didn’t disappoint his new employers as he banged 128 goals from 88 appearances for Al Ain carving a niche for himself in a two-year.
