Sunderland fans are hailing Asamoah Gyan’s generosity in the biting cold after their Ghanaian striker went almost naked by giving his jersey and shorts to the travelling supporters after a league game on Saturday.
Sunderland moved to within one point of fifth-placed Tottenham after beating Blackpool 2-1 in the wake of Darren Bent’s departure. And Gyan celebrated it by performing a seaside strip.
The Ghana ace first removed his No. 33 shirt and threw it into the travelling crowd from Wearside at the final whistle. Then, ignoring the bone-chilling temperature, he removed his shorts and threw them to the fans before running off the pitch. And Gyan has promised to carry on stripping – if Sunderland stay on course for Europe.
The £13m former Modena and Udinese star said: “I used to do that all the time in Italy. In south Italy, players have been doing that for a long time. “After every game they would make sure they threw their jerseys and their shorts to the fans.
I don’t think its a big deal. I just want the fans to be happy.” His act of generosity has been hailed by the fans of the club who thought it was a perfect gift for the travelling fans.
Gyan admitted that Bent’s exit had caught the players by surprise, adding: “It’s been a difficult week but the focus was there. It was a surprise, a huge surprise, because there was no sign of Darren leaving. But it’s one of those things and that’s football.”