Can Asamoah Gyan cut it for Legon Cities on a sunny day at Dormaa ?

2nd November 2020

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After more than 17 years since departing Liberty Professionals to begin his European adventure, Asamoah Gyan makes a return to where his prodigious talents were discovered.

As a youngster his precocious talents were evident during his school time at Accra Academy and it was no doubt he was part of the now defunct Academicals team that picked up the best students from across the country.

The late Alhaji Sly Tetteh who could spot talents from afar also had unparalleled links to foreign clubs and it was no surprise Liberty Professionals produced about half the players who qualified Ghana for its first ever World Cup in 2006 in Germany.

Before him, the likes of Derek Boateng, Michael Essien, John Paintsil had all passed through the Liberty Professionals door to Europe after playing for the various Ghana youth teams.

Coming up at Liberty Professionals and the younger brother of Ghana International Baffour Gyan, the younger Gyan was tipped for stardom.

In his early days he earned the nickname 'Baby Jet' but mainly for his quick heels and quick feet but not so much with his chance conversion.

Gyan has grown in leaps and bounds from the youngster who left Liberty Professionals to Udinese through Modena, then to Stade Rennes in France before earning a move to Sunderland for a brief spell in the limelight of club football before beginning his lucrative adventures in the Gulf and far east regions whiles in his prime.

His capture by Legon Cities has undoubtedly raised the profile of the Ghana Premier League and the hugely popular figure will be the talking point after every game.

World football governing body Fifa, African football's governing body Caf , Ghanaian and African music icon Sarkodie were among a host of top entities to celebrate Asamoah Gyan's return to Ghana's domestic football.

The buzz, excitement and allure he brings along on and off the pitch is enormous to say the least but the 34 year old who is in the twilight of his career has been bedeviled by countless injuries in recent times.

Since the 2018/2019 season during which times the star striker played for Kayserispor in Turkey and NorthEast United in the Indian Super League he has been hit by seven different injury concerns that have kept him out for a long time.

Having lost a yard of pace and having had the experience of playing in good pitches for well over 17 years across France, England, Turkey, China and the gulf regions can Asamoah Gyan cut it on a hot afternoon on the scruffy Techiman Eleven Wonders Park?

On a hot afternoon at Aduana with the vociferous fans of the club backing them can the once jet heeled Asamoah Gyan leave his markers in his wake?

The striker is no more the 17 year old novice who departed the shores of Ghana for pastures anew in europe but we must also realize that there is a lot of mileage in his legs and his body has gone through a lot of battering through out his long storied footballing career.

Like others before him it was not so fulfilling their return back home as they promised so much but delivered very little in return.

The likes of Baffour Gyan, Nii Odartey Lamptey, Laryea Kingson in recent times after their glorious sojourns in Europe rounded up their career in Ghana but it ended in doom than the gloom it promised.

Our league need players of the stature of Asamoah Gyan to build its commercial profile and appeal to the fans and hopefully Gyan provides the X factor.