Source: Daily_Mail
Asamoah Gyan vows to be a hit at Sunderland
He was undoubtedly one of the stars of the summer in South Africa, but Asamoah Gyan will forever be remembered as the man who blew Ghana's chances of becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals with a last-minute penalty miss.[LNB] Gyan has landed in Sunderland, the Premier League's biggest deadline day signing, determined to prove he has put that skied kick and the heartache of a continent behind him and live up to his £13million price tag.[LNB] Record deal: Asamoah Gyan[LNB] 'I have already put it out of my mind,' he said. 'In fact, if you remember, after I had missed one I came straight back and scored in the shoot-out.[LNB] 'Mentally I am strong. I can forget things easily. People did not expect me to score that second penalty but I wanted to prove I am capable. I am ok now.'[LNB] Gyan was handed the chance to put Ghana into the last four thanks to a goal-line handball by Uruguay's Luis Suarez, who was banned from the semi-final defeat by Holland.[LNB] Gyan, 25, rated 50-50 to make his debut at Wigan tomorrow due to a lack of match fitness, says he has forgiven Suarez for the indiscretion and admitted he would have done the same.[LNB] He said: 'It was cheating to handle the ball, but I would do the same and may be I will do it for Sunderland in one important game. He's done a great job for his country and Suarez is a hero there for cheating because he got his team to the semi-finals.[LNB] 'Ghana were the third African team to qualify for the quarterfinals. Although we were hoping to do more, we did a great job.'[LNB] Dream breaker: Asamoah Gyan (No 3) sees his last-minute penalty hit the bar[LNB] Gyan, who admits he had a privileged childhood compared to the likes of new team-mate and national captain John Mensah, left Africa when he was 18. He has played for Udinese, Modena and Rennes, speaks five languages and can rap in most of them.[LNB] The stocky striker, who is waiting for his drum kit to arrive from his home in Rennes, says he will take his time to find his feet in the Sunderland dressing room, but Steve Bruce has signed a livewire, as Mensah will testify.[LNB] 'I'm a funny guy and I make people laugh,' said Gyan. 'I'm somebody who makes people happy. I know how to psyche myself and other people. I take pressure off them.[LNB] [LNB]THE MAGIC OF THREEGyan, who yesterday wore a diamond necklace with three on it, plus thenumber shaved on his head, always wore No 3 until he arrived at Sunderland. Alas, Kieran Richardson now has hislucky number so the new boy asked for 33 instead. Gyan said: 'It's a powerful number. I got the No 3 in Ghana and the first time I wore it, it was good for me. I know the De la Soul song 'Three, it's a magic number' and it is I believe it.'[LNB]'There will always be somebody who is tense in the dressing room, so you have to make them laugh to free them. That's my job.[LNB] 'Mensah knows. I got him. The way he was built up physically and because people in the national team were scared of him, I walked up to him one day wearing boxing gloves and punched him and kept punching him.[LNB] 'I wanted to prove to him I was not scared of him but he didn't punch me back because he knows he can kill me with one punch! He just looked at me and laughed.'[LNB] Gyan's African idols are the likes of Eto'o, Drogba, Adebayor and Kanoute, his favourite players of all time Ronaldo and Cantona. Gyan was a boyhood Manchester United fan and is looking forward to Bruce boring him silly with tales of Cantona, Ferguson and Keane.[LNB] 'I still watch videos of Cantona,' he said. 'He was a great man who scored great and unexpected goals. As a striker, you have to make the impossible possible and he did.[LNB] 'I arrived in Italy at the age of 18 and I was inexperienced, but I played a couple of years there, went on loan and learned great things. Now I've played in the World Cup, in the African Cup and I'm experienced. I'm 25 and I've played in the French league and the Italian league.[LNB] 'But it has always been my dream to play here. People have always said my game will be suited to England and I am hoping to prove that. The past is gone. We are looking in the present now.[LNB] 'There are some great African strikers out there and I've always wanted to play against them or with them. They inspire me. Now I'm coming to the Premier League. I did a great job at the World Cup and everybody knows me so it's a challenge to me because people will expect more.[LNB] 'Finally, I'm the record signing here. But that is good. The manager has the belief in me to pay that money. I have to make sure I do my job well.'[LNB] Gyan's other great love and another way he is hoping to express himself among his new team-mates is music.[LNB] He said: 'Some players like to play golf. I love music. I sing from morning to evening. I like hip hop, Eminem, Sean Paul, even dance hall music.[LNB] 'I write my own songs and maybe I'll sing to my team-mates one day but I will have to get used to them first.' [LNB] Bruce and Allardyce want England job... and Redknapp wouldn't refuse itSunderland signing Asamoah Gyan joins football's rap superstars [LNB]
