Now the wrong side of 30 and plugging away at Kayserispor in Turkey, Asamoah Gyan is making preparations for life beyond football.
Indeed, the former Sunderland striker has obtained a license to operate his own private airline business in his home country, as confirmed by Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo.
Congrats! #Ghana leader @NAkufoAddo reveals #BlackStars
captain Asamoah Gyan @ASAMOAH_GYAN3 acquires license to operate an airline. #Monko pic.twitter.com/inDvh3c4eP— Ghana FA 🇬🇭 (GFA) (@ghanafaofficial) October 25, 2017
The development was announced at the 2017 African Airshow in Accra earlier this week, with President Akufo-Addo also confirming that Gyan’s airline will of course be called ‘Baby Jet’ – after the player’s hip-hop alter-ego.
Gyan has since been handed an air carrier license from the Ghana Aviation Service and is now, according to Addo, “working feverishly to establish an airline”.
Thanks President @NAkufoAddo, this is a call to work hard with my team to make the BBJ airline dream a reality soonest and create jobs.
— ASAMOAH GYAN (@ASAMOAH_GYAN3) October 25, 2017
Addo continued:
Obviously, it will be called Baby Jet airlines. I want to call on other Ghanaians both home and abroad to invest in the rapidly growing aviation sector.
In fairness to Gyan, he does possess a wealth of previous experience when it comes to launching weighty things into the sky.