Asamoah Gyan Opens Up on Painful Emotional Struggles and Depression
- Asamoah Gyan disclosed he battled depression and urged people to seek help during difficult periods
- The former Black Stars captain said support and encouragement helped him regain focus during a challenging period
- Gyan was officially unveiled as a Ghana Football Association ambassador and pledged to support grassroots football development
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Former Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has opened up about battling depression around a year ago and urged people facing difficult moments in life to speak up and seek support.
The former Ghana national football team captain made the emotional revelation on Wednesday during his unveiling as a Ghana Football Association ambassador at the Pelican Hotel in Accra.
Gyan opens up on emotional struggles
According to Gyan, he experienced personal challenges that affected him mentally and even led him to stay away from social media for a period.
Speaking during the event, he said via Ghanaian Times:
"About a year ago, I had problems which led to depression. Everybody can go through this stuff."
Gyan explained that things began to change after a conversation with Kurt Okraku, president of the Ghana Football Association.
According to the former striker, Okraku encouraged him not to give up because there was still a lot of work to be done in Ghana football, particularly at grassroots level.
Gyan recalled:
"He told me we have a lot of things to do when it comes to grassroots football and that I have been an inspiration to the youth and Ghana."
The former Sunderland AFC striker said the encouragement helped him regain focus and motivated him to continue contributing to football development in the country.
Gyan appointed ambassador for Ghana national teams
The event also marked Gyan’s official appointment as an ambassador for Ghana’s national teams ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In his new role, he is expected to support the development and promotion of Ghanaian football.
Gyan pledged to use the position to inspire young footballers, strengthen the national teams and contribute to grassroots football development across the country.
He also called on corporate Ghana to invest more in youth football, stressing that the future of the sport depends heavily on support for emerging talent.
He said:
"Grassroots football is the foundation of every successful football nation."
"We must invest in young talents, create opportunities for them, and give them hope. I want to appeal to corporate Ghana to support football development because the future of our game depends on what we build today."
Gyan remains Ghana’s all-time leading scorer with 51 international goals and is widely regarded as one of the country's greatest footballers.
Source: YEN.com.gh
