Ghana coach Avram Grant says he will continue to depend on Asamoah Gyan in so far as the striker remains fit.

Gyan, 30, remains the most reliable source of goals for the Black Stars despite inching towards retirement.

The Shanghai SIPG ace is the all-time leading scorer for the Ghana national team and remains a highly influential figure both on and off the field of play for the Black Stars.

Gyan has however clearly lost a significant chunk of his pace even though his maturity in putting away chances in front of goal has statistically improved in recent years.

There also remain a massive gap between the former Sunderland hitman and his potential successors with the likes of Jordan Ayew and Abdul Majeed Waris not quite hitting the required level of consistency.

And Grant says he will continue to rely heavily on Gyan as far as he is able to contribute to the side.

“Asamoah is a very good player, and if he keeps himself well he will be able to continue to contribute to the team,” he said.

Asamoah Gyan, who is the captain of the Black Stars, hopes to lead the side to first qualify and then win the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in Gabon.