Ghana's Asamoah Gyan 'never recovered' from 2010

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Asamoah Gyan in training for Ghana during the Africa Cup of Nations

Ghana star Asamoah Gyan has admitted he "never recovered" from the disappointment of the 2010 World Cup.

The striker missed a penalty, external which would have taken Ghana through to the semi-finals of that tournament.

He has taken an "indefinite break" from international action after his recent miss in the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations against Zambia.

He received sustained abuse from some Ghana fans following their failure in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

"Psychologically I am down," the player admitted in a statement on Twitter., external

"As you can imagine it's been very hard for me mentally, to miss two important successive penalties for my country," the statement said.

"Because of this, a break to recoup my thoughts and emotions will aid me to come back bigger and mentally stronger.

"I never fully recovered from the 2010 World Cup and now the 2012 [Africa Cup of Nations]," the player admitted.

Ghana's Football Association (GFA) announced it was going to hold talks with the player as soon as he had revealed his decision to take a break from the Black Stars and he has not closed the door on a return.

"I want my country to know I love playing for them and I wouldn't be who I am without them," Gyan said.

"I would like to ask for prayers and support from Ghanaians to help me to come back with a renewed strength to continue serving my country."

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