£13m Sunderland striker wanted to hit Liverpool star during Premier League clash

Ex-Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan has admitted he wanted to “hit” Luis Suarez during a match against Liverpool.
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Gyan spent two years at the Stadium of Light between 2010 and 2012 after signing for the Black Cats for a whopping £13 million.

During the summer before his move, however, Gyan’s Ghana had played Suarez’s Uruguay in the World Cup quarter-final.

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A handball by Luis Suarez stopped a certain goalbound shot deep into injury time.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 12:  Asamoah Gyan of Sunderland celebrates scoring the first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on February 12, 2011 in Sunderland, England.  (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 12:  Asamoah Gyan of Sunderland celebrates scoring the first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on February 12, 2011 in Sunderland, England.  (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 12: Asamoah Gyan of Sunderland celebrates scoring the first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on February 12, 2011 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

It is one of the most controversial and memorable moments of World Cup history.

Suarez was sent off but Ghana missed the resulting spot-kick and were eliminated on penalties after extra time.

The pair were then to meet once again in the Premier League with Gyan moving to Sunderland and Suarez playing for Liverpool.

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“I remember a game between Sunderland and Liverpool. We were playing at home on that day and all players were shaking hands,” Gyan said on Football Ghana.

“I wanted to hit him [Suarez] because people had said things that stuck in my mind.

“I was naïve at that time but when I thought about it later, I realized that I had to let it go because I would have done the same thing if I was in his position.”

Gyan moved to the United Arab Emirates on loan from Sunderland before concluding a permanent deal.

Stints in China and Turkey followed before Gyan’s retirement from football in 2019.

Since then Gyan, 36, has been involved in boxing and tennis alongside an airline business named ‘Baby Jet Airlines’.