Former Ghana winger Laryea Kingston says Asamoah Gyan is still unhappy due to how he lost the captaincy of the Black Stars.

Gyan’s role as captain changed to General captain with Andre Ayew taking over the armband before the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The tournament marked Gyan’s last for Ghana as the Black Stars exited in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout loss to Tunisia.

Speaking on the challenges he faced as a player and drawing parallels to Gyan’s situation, Kingston highlighted the mistreatment some former players experienced under the national team management. According to Kingston, Gyan was not treated fairly during the transition of the captaincy to Andre Ayew.

“Black Stars have hurt a lot of former players. A lot of former players leave the national team with anger. So, he leaves without a good heart following the team because they pushed him away even when his time is not up,” Kingston told Graphic Sports. He specifically pointed to the case of Asamoah Gyan, suggesting that Ayew assumed the captaincy “by force,” leaving Gyan unhappy.

“Look at someone like Asamoah Gyan, Dede Ayew got the captaincy by force so if you are speaking to Asamoah now he is not happy. Myself, what they did to me for so many years I never supported the Black Stars but just recently I sat down and said it’s over let me focus”, he added.

Despite Gyan’s contributions and illustrious career, he faced challenges making a comeback into the national team due to inconsistencies in performance and battles with injuries.

He eventually retired from professional football in June 2023 bringing to an end an envious international career.

The former Sunderland man with 109 caps ended his career as Ghana’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals. He also holds the accolade as Africa’s top scorer at the World Cup with six goals.