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Ex-Prem hero with £18m empire lose riches and a petrol station after kids 'lie' claim

There's no doubt about it - playing in the Premier League pays good money.

However, in the case of former Sunderland star Asamoah Gyan, he may have wished he could have played in the top flight for a bit longer after a court order saw him have to hand over part of his 'empire' to his ex-wife, ironically named Gifty Gyan.

Following a lengthy three-year legal battle, Gyan, who recently turned 39, had to hand over two houses, two cards and a petrol station he owned due to his divorce from Gifty. The former Black Cats star and Ghana skipper also questioned whether the couple's three children were actually his too, but DNA tests proved he was the father.

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And as a result, Gyan - who retired from football in June 2023 - was also ordered to pay 25,000 Ghanaian cedis (£1,729) per month to help pay for sons Rafael, Frederick and Floyd. However, the Ghanaian football icon appeared anything but content with the ruling and raised suspicion after being informed of his fate.

"If I have 10 pts and I keep quiet cos I've matured, and you have 2 pts and you going find public sympathy, then it's cool," wrote Gyan in response to the court order. "You are very funny. This is deep so think about it."

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Asamoah Gyan posing on Instagram

Asamoah Gyan was told to give two houses, two cars and a petrol station to his ex-wife (Image: Instagram/asamoah_gyan3)

Gyan - who last played for Legion Cities in his native Accra in 2021 - was forced to hand over the keys to two properties. One of the properties is located in Ghana's capital, while the other is in the United Kingdom.

The court made its decision after deciding Gifty had made a 'non-cash contribution' to the houses by caring for and bringing up the former couple's trio of children. Two of the tykes were born before Gyan and Gifty got married in 2013.

Asamoah Gyan celebrates for Sunderland

Gyan scored 11 times in 37 appearances for Sunderland (Image: Getty Images)

Former striker Gyan turned out for Rennes and Udinese before moving to the Stadium of Light in 2010, later taking his talents to Turkey, Dubai, China and India. He's also found success in other fields and was valued at more than £18million earlier this year, succeeding as a boxing promoter and in the world of entertainment logistics, to name a few of his investments.

Gyan has scored more goals for the Black Stars than any other player (51), and only former team-mate Andre Ayew (115) boasts more than his 109 caps. It was largely thanks to his exploits in front of goal that Ghana reached the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals before his late penalty miss from Luis Suarez's infamous hand-ball precipitated an exit at Uruguay's hands.

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