Ransford Gyan is Clemson University’s no. 10, a 2-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, and now the ACC Freshman of the Year. He capped his 5-goal, 6-assist season with second team All-ACC honors and scored the Tigers’ final goal of the season in their NCAA Championship Round of 16 defeat. Gyan is a rising star in the United States based on accolades alone and the Ghanaian’s play backs it up.
He is quite short at 5’4” with a lean frame. Gyan is already sturdily built for this level of play despite his size. His shoulders are broad enough to fill in well over time to withstand the strength of opponents in more physical leagues. Being as short as he is, Gyan has a low center of gravity and he takes full advantage of it when flashing short to link up, as his turning is consistently successful in sealing off the opposition into progressive actions. He frequently progressive carries up the middle channel as his action out of these turns and when linking play. Here, Gyan displays his elite explosiveness upon first step/dribble and overall elite pace. His agility is superb, as evidenced by his turning, but his quick feet and change of direction shown on the dribble exemplify it, too. Aerially, he is a non-factor. To wrap up this outstanding athletic profile, Gyan has a relentless work rate to keep going from box-to-box throughout the match, hardly ever slowing down. The NCAA’s substitution rules bring into question his ability to regularly complete 90s at the senior level, though.
In the buildup, Gyan likes to drop deep to link play with his back line or holding midfielder and turn into progressive carries, utilizing his pace to advance with ease. On the way, he utilizes his notable dribbling ability that combines confidence and explosive pace to glide past opponents, something he does when cutting inside from the right wing, as well. When attacking on ball in and approaching the final third, his favored area is the right half space where he receives into his feet with a soft, controlled first touch. From there, Gyan can rely on his confidence to help him win the take-on primarily using a step over or turn of pace, timing the dribble well to catch his opponent lunging. After that, he is quick in his decision making to either shoot from distance, striking it with power or a knuckle, or distribute/create. His distribution range and types are diverse. Gyan can spread play wide with either foot from his central carries and provide medium to long range left footed ground passes that break lines or progress up the half spaces on the counter. When creating, those progressive passes into the box and his in-swinging crossing ability provide the most threat. His crossing comes primarily from the right flank and on set piece deliveries. When finishing, Gyan’s ball striking technique must become more consistent and go for placement more often than power. His two footed first time finishing in the box leaves little to be desired and more volume could improve his goal threat at the end of trailing runs. Gyan does his best work via the counter and combining play up the wing, though when in settled possession, he does not struggle. His passing technique and tidy dribbling have proven to be valuable assets operating in tight spaces. Off ball, alongside linking play in his own half frequently, Gyan utilizes his pace well to get forward on explosive middle channel runs in swift response to his team gaining possession.
Defensively, his work is limited to recovering centrally to provide an extra body in midfield for the opposition to navigate. Gyan does provide a frustrating presence in the high press with his elite pace being a main component in rushing opposition decision making. His closeouts can be a bit out of control at times, leading to fouls, but Gyan’s willingness to press cannot be questioned.
Gyan is a special talent that does not touch the NCAA often. He is ready for senior football and will find himself a top MLS SuperDraft pick soon. Beyond that, he has potential to make it far in Europe because of his athleticism, end product, dribbling technique, and determination. I can envision him reaching Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga one day based upon his style in this free role at Clemson. For now, he should stay and develop for another season before taking his talent overseas.
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