Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has hailed Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario de Lima as the greatest football player of all time.
Gyan, who admired the former Barcelona and Real Madrid star during his youth, modeled his playing style after Ronaldo, now 47. The debate over the greatest footballer has long been a topic of discussion, initially revolving around Pele and Maradona, and more recently including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi due to their outstanding achievements in the 2010s.
Despite the ongoing debate, Gyan believes Ronaldo stands out. The Brazilian remains the youngest player to have won the FIFA World Best Player award, first securing it in 1996 at the age of 20. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award two more times and claimed the FIFA World Cup twice with Brazil.
"Brazilian Ronaldo is the one from whom I drew a lot of inspiration. To me, he is the greatest player of all time,” Gyan told YFM. “He was a centre-forward who could do everything. I grew up and acquired skills similar to his. A centre-forward might have certain qualities and lack others, but I see myself as a complete striker who never lacked anything. I thank God for that," he added.
Gyan is currently Ghana’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals and is the country’s second most-capped player, trailing only Andre Ayew.
