Premier League striker was left with £597 after buying over 30 buses | Football | Sport

A former Premier League striker has gone from earning eye-watering sums to having just £597 in his bank account. Asamoah Gyan, a football icon and Ghana’s all-time leading goalscorer with 51 goals, also holds the record for being the top African goalscorer in World Cup history, netting six times across the 2006, 2010 and 2014 tournaments. His impressive form for both his country and French club Rennes led to a record-breaking £10million transfer to Sunderland in 2010.

Gyan was expected to make a significant impact at Wearside, and he didn’t disappoint in his first season, scoring 11 goals in 33 matches. However, a surprising exit the following September saw Sunderland accept a rumoured £6m loan fee for him to move to Al Ain FC in the United Arab Emirates, where he earned over triple his previous salary.

In the Middle East, he reportedly earned a staggering £160,000 per week. His hefty pay packet was certainly justified as he scored an impressive 112 goals in 107 games.

But an even more profitable opportunity arose when he transferred to Shanghai SIPG in China under former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2015.

Gyan was reportedly the eighth-highest-paid footballer worldwide at the time, earning a cool £227,000 per week.

However, the striker managed just eight goals in 26 outings for the club, leaving supporters disappointed given his substantial wages. Following spells with Kayserispor, NorthEast United and Legon Cities, Gyan retired from professional football in 2021.

Despite amassing considerable wealth throughout his playing career, he surprisingly disclosed he had just £597 remaining in his account. In a 2018 interview with MyNewsGh.com, he said: “My front and back, up and down is that money you see there.”

The former international also presented his Turkish bank statements from his time at Kayserispor, substantiating his remarkable claim, whilst simultaneously accusing the club of owing him outstanding wages.

Away from football, Gyan has previously ventured into politics, attempted to launch a Baby Jet airline, purchased his own boxing promotion company, pursued interests in the music industry, and established a charitable foundation dedicated to supporting the “vulnerable and needy members of marginalised society”.

Discussing his philanthropic endeavours, Gyan was recently quoted by Marca as saying: “I have not been fair to the youth and people of Ghana. From now on I am not affiliated with any political party.

“I will continue with my humanitarian work and help the youth of Ghana in my own way. Nothing political. God bless our homeland Ghana. Thank you.”

Gyan has also ventured into property, owning several buildings and flats which are rented out to individuals and companies.

Not only does he have interests in traditional businesses, but the striker also owns more than 30 buses which service the Ghanaian capital city of Accra.

Gyan could get discounts on fuel for his buses, as he also owns a number of petrol stations around his home nation.

In addition to vehicles, Gyan also owns the Paradise Pac Drinking Water company, which has introduced sachet water to the Ghanaian market.