Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has revealed losing a tabled offer to play for Manchester City by playing through the pain at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 33-year-old was at the time playing for Italian club Udinese when he was invited to play in the tournament on home soil.

This was to be Gyan’s first Africa Cup of Nations tournament after withdrawing from the 2006 edition also due to injury.

That tournament however turned out to be one of Gyan’s worst outing in a Ghana shirt as he finished the competition with just a goal and an avalanche of criticisms.

He even at a point attempted leaving the Ghana camp but was convinced to stay.

The former Sunderland ace who now plays his club football in Turkey for Kayserispor now reveals he played through an injury which eventually cost him a move to Man City.

“In 2008 I had an injury of which I needed to treat but postponed it just so I can come and play for the nation when we were hosting the AFCON,” he told Asempa FM.

“At that time, I had a Manchester City contract waiting for me.

“When I came and things didn’t go well, I got really criticized with people not knowing this.

“After that tournament O was out for six months. I lost that contract.”

Gyan in the summer of 2008 moved to join French club Rennes where he battled several injury setbacks.

His biggest break however came in 2010 when he joined Sunderland before eventually moving to the Asia to play for Al Ain and then Shanghai SIPG.