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ISL 2019: NorthEast United FC star Asamoah Gyan working hard to get fit before the first match
Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan, who is wearing the NorthEast United FC jersey this season in the ISL is working on his fitness before the first match.
Former Ghana captain and one of the most successful players of Africa, Asamoah Gyan, who is wearing the NorthEast United FC jersey this season in the ISL is working on his fitness before the first match against the Bangalore FC on October 21. In an exclusive interview with The Bridge in Guwahati, Gyan said:
I have just joined the team ten days ago from holiday. Since then, I have been training. To be honest, I am not yet 100 percent fit. I need to improve my fitness level to make sure that I am ready for the first game of the season. I need to work really hard. The Indian Super League is also not easy. With my experience, I need to adapt to this situation. I need to find the right way to score more goals.
However, Gyan has scored during a friendly match against the senior national team which is undergoing training in Guwahati ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh.
Asamoah Gyan, who is wearing the NorthEast United FC jersey this season in the ISL is working on his fitness
On arriving in India with a new assignment, former Sunderland striker said that it’s a new challenge for him and he is ready for it.
“Good thing is that I am here. Having played in some of the top leagues across the globe, finally I am in India for my career. I think it is a good challenge for me and I want to experience the league also. Let’s see what happens,” he added.
Besides Sunderland, Gyan has played for Udinese in Serie A, UAE's Al Ain and Shanghai SIPG among others. He had a phenomenal record with Al Ain scoring 128 goals in 123 matches before he joined the Chinese side Shanghai SIPG.
On the pressure on his shoulder, Gyan said that it’s nothing new to him. He said:
Throughout my career – be it in national team or clubs in the top leagues – the pressure was always there. Everybody expects more. In life, nobody is satisfied with anything. If you score two, next time you are expected to score three. So, it’s always a challenge for me. When the pressure is on you, sometimes it’s good to do more. Honestly, there is pressure. I’m not worried but trying to give my best.
Gyan who is also the highest scorer for Ghana, further said that he is optimistic about Indian football. He, however, said that when the people in India realise that football is the number one game in the world and they start focusing on football, only then India can really prepare for the World Cup.
Gyan has scored during a friendly match against the senior national team
“They (India) have to prepare (World Cup) when people focus on them (footballers). As we all know from the outside that in India the number one sport is cricket. For me the number one sport in the world is football, so this is the time, I urge people to focus more on football. Then the players will get more exposure, and they will grow in confidence to prove themselves. Because, sometimes, they think that they don’t get the exposures,” Gyan said.
He said that he thinks Indian football is good enough and it’s improving in each year. “So, they have a bright future if they focus on football in the near future,” Gyan added.
Gyan also advocated for allowing the Indian origin foreign players to play for India so that the standard of the game can be improved. He added:
Of course, this should be allowed. Especially countries like France have done it. The players from different nationalities if come together and play will make the team very strong. Even there are some foreign players who have been here and who don’t play for them can also help if given an opportunity. They can make the national team very strong.
Gyan though joined the team just ten days ago, has already back to business and scored in the pre-season friendly against the senior national team in Guwahati.
