Gyan quick to convince Bruce he is on a winner

11 September 2010 10:20
ASAMOAH GYAN reassured Sunderland manager Steve Bruce that he had made the right move in his search for a new striker the moment he signed in the boardroom at the Stadium of Light.[LNB] It is almost two weeks since the Ghanaian put pen to paper on his switch from Rennes, but he has only been training with the Sunderland squad since Thursday.[LNB] But Bruce is already satisfied that they have an African forward with the determination to succeed in England, which was evident from the moment he put the finishing touches to his transfer just minutes before the deadline.[LNB] The Sunderland boss said: He should bring a smile to everyone's face. When he signed he asked in the boardroom if he could make a call to his family, so he got the telephone and put it on loudspeaker.[LNB] He said gents, I am about to sign'. I am not sure how many brothers or sisters he has but they started singing Asamoah, Asamoah' down the line and he started singing with them. It was quite bizarre.[LNB] They were genuinely delighted that he was going to ply his trade in the Premier League. That is what I like about him. He is full of life, full of energy.[LNB] He is going to be a real handful to manage but a nice handful. He will be a crowd favourite just the way he is and you just hope with the amount of money you have paid that he can hit the ground running.[LNB] Gyan is expected to make his Premier League bow at Wigan today, when the 4,500- strong travelling supporters from Wearside will see the first glimpses of the club's £13m record buy.[LNB] Bruce has been monitoring Gyan for three years, having watched the striker in action for his country against Senegal at Millwall. At that time he was at Udinese, but injury prevented him achieving his dream move to the Premier League sooner.[LNB] The fact Sunderland's owner, Ellis Short, has put the money up to break the record transfer fee for the second time inside 13 months has delighted the manager.[LNB] I tried 12 months ago for Gyan but we opted for Darren Bent because he has played in the Premier League, said Bruce.[LNB] Fair play to the owner.[LNB] There has been huge investment over last three years, not just my 12 months but the last three years.[LNB] We need time. We have invested in the squad, which I believe is the youngest in the Premier League, which is a conscious effort and we need time to settle down.[LNB] The owner has played his part. He has transformed it and now it is about time we paid him back.[LNB] With Michael Turner ruled out through injury, John Mensah is in line to start alongside Titus Bramble at Wigan in defence, while Andy Reid is in contention for a place in the match-day squad after training for two weeks.[LNB] But goalkeeper Craig Gordon remains a few weeks away from a comeback, with Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet expected to play until the end of the month at the earliest.[LNB]

Source: Northern_Echo