Accra, June 5, 2024 — Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has opened up about his modest beginnings in professional football, revealing that his initial salary at Liberty Professionals was just GH₵100.
Gyan, who rose to prominence after excelling at the colts level, joined the Dansoman-based Liberty Professionals where he quickly became a standout player in the Ghanaian Premier League. His impressive performance secured him a transfer to Italian club Udinese after just one year.
Reflecting on his early career, the 38-year-old disclosed that his transfer fee to Liberty Professionals was GH₵500, but he only received half of it. “I was signed for GH₵500 by Liberty. That was my signing fee, five million old currency. From colts, Liberty signed me for GH₵500. But I was given GH₵250 out of it, so I always tell them they owe me now,” Gyan shared on YFM Ghana.
Gyan’s career quickly ascended from his humble beginnings. “My first contract at Udinese, I was earning €3,700 a month. At Liberty, I was earning GH₵100 a month and then I moved to €3,700. I was then loaned to Modena for two years,” he recounted.
His stint at Modena saw his earnings increase significantly. “In Modena, I was earning €7,000 and something, so my salary moved up. I won’t say the rest. After the loan, I came back to Udinese. That was after the 2006 World Cup. I was a World Cup material, so it had gone up again,” Gyan noted.
Gyan’s career continued to flourish with notable contracts and moves, including a substantial offer from Russia. “The following year I had a huge contract to move to Russia but they decided they wanted me to stay for another year, so they had to change my contract. And that was when I started making money,” he added.
The legendary striker, who eventually played for clubs such as Stade Rennes, Sunderland, Al Ain, Shanghai SIPG, Kayserispor, NorthEast United, and Legon Cities, is Ghana’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals and the country’s second-most-capped player with 109 appearances.
Gyan’s story is a testament to his hard work and perseverance, illustrating how far he has come from earning GH₵100 a month to becoming a global football icon.