Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan says his signature dribbling trick came from Brazil's R9, and he picked it up back in his Junior High School days.
Ghana great Asamoah Gyan has pulled back the curtain on one of his deadliest weapons. The former Black Stars captain says he learnt his trademark dribbling move from Brazilian icon Ronaldo, long before he became a star.
The revelation came on social media. A fan tagged Gyan in a post about Barcelona and Brazil winger Raphinha, who is still working on the same skill, and suggested the Brazilian should take lessons from the Ghanaian. Gyan answered with typical humility. He wrote that he learnt the move from R9 when he was in JHS, and he credited the two-time World Cup winner rather than himself.
For anyone who watched Gyan in his prime, the admission lands. When he pulled out that move, defenders were usually left grasping at air. The idea that a schoolboy in Ghana was studying Ronaldo's game and later turned it into his own weapon is the kind of story that inspires young African footballers.
There is a neat twist in the history, too. Gyan came up against his idol at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where Brazil beat Ghana 3-0 in the round of 16. Gyan has never hidden his admiration for Ronaldo, whom many rank as the greatest striker of all time. Gyan himself remains one of the biggest names in African World Cup history.
