Told you there was something fishy about Gyan’s rationale for why Reading didn’t sign him. Looking at the evidence, only one conclusion made sense.
Reading FC manager Jaap Stam has come out to reiterate that the side refused to sign Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan because he failed his medical, and not because of Gyan’s claims that the side did not want him to play for his nation.
Stam, a legendary player who established a well respected career at Manchester United and later AC Milan, told the press ahead of his side’s upcoming game against Ipswich Town that Gyan indeed failed his medical, as his physical condition was found to be woefully inadequate.
Stam said…
“Yes. [Gyan] wasn’t in very good shape. When he joined us they did a very good medical on him which was very important because he’s been injured in the past. He hasn’t been playing a lot of games.
You need to be sure, if you bring a player in, that he’s fit and not that you need to work him for six to eight weeks to get him in shape. And maybe there’s a risk of him getting injured during that period so he’s out for a longer time.
And then he needs to go to Ghana in January and we lose him for two months. So it’s a big risk.
He wasn’t in good shape, that was the case. Of course the player says he was in good shape because he wants to play, but he wasn’t. Our medical people are not going to be lying about that. That’s why we made the decision not to sign him.
Potentially getting someone in like that shows you mean business.
To be honest he wasn’t that expensive and you have to think why can he leave his club? Is there a reason he can leave that club if he’s that fit? So you have to think about that as well. But we’re always looking for quality strikers.
He did well here in the UK, he did well in Saudi Arabia, in China and with the national team. If you see him play you can see he’s a quality striker.
But we have to be sure because we don’t have much money to spend on players or wages.
If we’re going to be spending money then we need to be sure it’s on a player who is fit and ready to produce for us.
But every player you bring in – especially a player of a certain age – you look at his past. Then we have a medical, which was very important to see how he was.
If the results are that bad that you need to work him for a long tome to get his fitness up then you need to think about it. You don’t want to take a player on, spend money on him, and then not be able to use him.
I’ve been a player myself and certain players look for excuses for certain situations. If you are not fit – you are not going to go to your country and play. That’s it.”
Reports after the failed deal said Gyan was not fit enough to play for another eight weeks, leading to Reading pulling the plug – but Gyan countered that the deal fell through not because of a failed medical but because Reading did not want him playing for Ghana, something that made absolutely no sense.
Hmmm…a well respected legendary defender who’s known for speaking his mind or an opportunistic money grabber who pissed off his career for money? I know which one I’ll believe in this scenario.