Veteran coach J.E. Sarpong has disclosed that Asamoah Gyan once sent him money to settle his rent when he was going through financial difficulties.How Asamoah Gyan gave me GHc7,000 to pay rent – JE Sarpong narratesSarpong is widely credited as the man who discovered Gyan, having enrolled him at Accra Academy Senior High School and mentored him.
The former Ebusua Dwarfs manager used to be the Sports Master at Accra Academy, where he helped to nurture students who went interested in sports.
It was from his guidance that Gyan’s football career took off, with the striker later joining Liberty Professionals.
Speaking to Ernest Brew Smith on his YouTube show, Sarpong recounted a moment when he was in financial distress and Gyan came to his rescue.
He narrated that, some years ago, he was in financial distress, but Gyan came through with a sum of GHc7,000 to pay his rent.
“I was unable to pay for my rent after the death of my mother so I reached out to Asamoah Gyan and told him how urgent I need his help because I wouldn’t have gone to him if it was not that serious. I told him I’m not asking for a house but money to settle my rent allowance,” the veteran coach said.
“He promised to give me the money after a Black Stars and he did even though I thought he might change his mind as always because the team didn’t even get a favourable result in that game.”
“He gave mu GHc7000 cash in a brown envelope and I immediately gave the money to a friend I was with because he can change his mind.”
In 2020, Sarpong was gifted a car by some former student-athletes of the Accra Academy Senior High School in Accra.
The group decided to honour him for his selfless contribution to their development when they were students at the school.
Known as the ‘Accra Aca Sports Legends’, the group was made up of old students who passed through the hands of the veteran coach.
Among those who contributed to buying the car were Leo Myles Mills Jnr, a former national athlete and Princeton Owusu-Ansah, a former Ghana international.
Source: pulse.com.gh