If, like me, you’re drawn to the headline “Gyan admits: I left Sunderland for the cash!”, you’ll be dusting down the fitting, if innumerate, chant “There’s only one greedy b******”.
Then you’ll scour the article, at Ghanaweb.com, for the killer quote. “I did it for money.” “I left to make myself richer.” “Stuff Sunderland; gimme more money and I’m anyone’s.”
And you’ll scour in vain.
True, the introduction reads: Asamoah Gyan has broken his silence on his bitter exit from Sunderland and admitted: Money makes me happy.
But that’s not a direct quote, just the author’s summary of what Gyan – “believed,” says Ghanaweb.com, “to have QUADRUPLED his money to over £100,000 a week” – actually said.
And the real quotes?
“I know people will be wondering why I moved to the Middle East, but it’s up to me. In life you need two things. You need to be happy and you need to look after yourself money-wise.
Whoever said I went for money needs to think twice. I made a decision with my family and the most important thing was for me to be happy and to be with my family.
It wasn’t a difficult decision. I had to decide with my family. My family is more important to me.”
Then our Asamoah begins to ramble a bit before adding: “Steve Bruce is like my father. He brought me to Sunderland for a record fee of £13million. But that’s life. I’m doing my job and he’s doing his job. He’s working under Sunderland and I’m also working under Sunderland. There was no confrontation with Steve. He is still my father. He gave me confidence. I’m always ready to work with him again.”
OK, we can all interpret the first part of the quoted remarks as meaning just what the the article says he said. But he didn’t quite say it; it remains our interpretation. I could also have put up a headline stating: “Asamoah Gyan shock: ‘Steve Bruce is my dad’.” He says first Bruce is “like” his father, then that he is “still” his father.
For the record, Steve Bruce is not Gyan’s dad.
But at least he has some command of verb tenses, telling Ghanaweb: “The Sunderland fans loved me. I know they were hurt. The deal came at the wrong time – but that’s life.”
You will have to go to the Ghanaian site if you want to hear his thoughts on starting to score a few goals in the UAE league, not really an Everest-climbing sort of feat, and about how his game is improving.
And you can always post a comment there, telling our Asamoah that when it comes to dosh, we didn’t even need his own word for it: he is a greedy b******.
Bruce should demand a blood test if Gyan says that he’s his father.
I don’t have a high opinion of Bruce, but I doubt even he would father such a greedy b@stard as him.
I noticed the door was not completely shut when he left,but with the best will in the world(which their isn’t) I just cannot see him playing for us again.
As to wanting to read his worthless,snivelling,self centred, piece of propaganda of an interview …I dont think I am that interested thank you.
I’m interested to see how this all plays out.
If Gyan intends to return and play out his contract, I wonder how he’ll be received by Bruce and by the supporters.
This is the first time something like this has happened in the Prem League, but it could become precedent– players nipping over for a quick million or two, then joining back up with their teams. Most modern footballers have the charge of greed levelled at them; be interesting to see how many would be willing to take bait of this size.
It’s annoying that it’s happened to us, but really it is rather intriguing.
Not at all apropos but… RIP, Jimmy Adamson