Gyan's got the right recipe

ASAMOAH GYAN could be in the Premier League’s top six with Sunderland tomorrow but remembers when he was heading nowhere.

A French doctor has revealed Gyan, as recently as last year, was eating his way towards oblivion as a sidelined crock.

And only a crash dietary and fitness course he shared with Gyan in Ghana’s capital, Accra, saved the Sunderland striker’s career from disaster.

Dr Karl Chaory, of French club Rennes, said: “Asamoah had a tendancy to let himself go when he was not under close supervision. He likes life and did put on weight.

“He had so many muscle injuries in his first season with us, he only played 13 games, scoring just one goal.

“Things could not carry on that way.

“Asamoah had such potential the club took the rare decision to send me with him on the summer holiday he had with his family in Africa. I was there 12 days, running with him every morning on the beaches and playing tennis.

“But the main thing is I organised his breakfast and lunch which he took with me in my hotel. Until then, Asamoah had eaten what he fancied, a lot of it African food which he adored but which was not necessarily in his best interest as a player. He had got depressed, too, and was worried about a change of manager the club had just made.

“I gave him dietary instructions which he followed closely and he returned for last season ready for pre-season work.

“I also did some psychological work on his confidence, which had sunk to a low ebb. I believe our time together was the rebirth of his career.”

The results were spectacular. Gyan, who set himself a target of 15 goals with Rennes, almost made it with 14 and went on to star for Ghana in the World Cup in South Africa. Dr Chaory added: “Our stay together gave him a real personal relationship with someone at the club. He is someone who has to feel he is loved.

“He certainly is in Accra. Kids used to crowd round us there. He was already a legend there before the World Cup.

“The really important thing for Asamoah was getting into the Premier League. He told me that was his dream even when he joined us from Italian football. He wants to go to the very top.”

Gyan has scored five goals for Sunderland this season in just 11 appearances, eight of them as a substitute. Sunderland will go into the top six if they beat bottom club West Ham convincingly at home tomorrow and Bolton lose at Manchester City today.