Biography
Who is Gervinho?
Early life and career beginnings
Gervais Yao Kouassi was born in Anyama, located in Côte d'Ivoire. He began his football training at the youth academy of ASEC Abidjan, where he spent five years developing his skills. It was during his time at this academy that a Brazilian coach gave him the nickname Gervinho, which translates to Little Gervais in Portuguese. This name stuck throughout his professional career.
Following his tenure at ASEC Abidjan, he signed with the Ivorian club Toumodi F.C. He eventually moved to Europe in 2004 to continue his development. He joined the Belgian team K.S.K. Beveren, where he played for two seasons. During this time in Belgium, he made 61 appearances and scored 14 goals, establishing himself as a capable forward before moving to France.
Success in French football
In 2007, he moved to France to join Le Mans F.C. In Ligue 1. He spent two seasons there, scoring nine goals in 59 league appearances. In July 2009, he transferred to Lille OSC on a three-year contract. His first season with the club was highly productive, as he scored 13 goals in 32 matches.
His second season at Lille was even more successful. He helped the team secure the Ligue 1 title for the first time in over five decades and also contributed to their Coupe de France victory. He scored 15 goals in the league that season and 18 across all competitions. This performance attracted attention from several major European clubs.
Playing for Arsenal and Roma
He completed a transfer to the English Premier League club Arsenal in July 2011. During his time in London, he wore the number 27 shirt. He scored his first league goal in a match against Blackburn Rovers. He also gained experience in the Champions League, scoring against Montpellier in 2012. After two seasons with Arsenal, he moved to Italy.
In August 2013, he joined AS Roma for a reported fee of 8 million euros. He made his debut against Livorno and quickly became a key player. He scored his first official goal for the club in September 2013 against Sampdoria. During his time in Italy, he also performed well in the Coppa Italia, scoring a decisive goal against Juventus to help his team reach the semi-finals in 2014.
International career and later years
He represented the Ivory Coast national team for many years, making over 80 appearances and scoring 23 goals between 2007 and 2021. He participated in five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and two World Cups. He also served as the captain of the Ivorian U23 team during the 2008 Olympic tournament.
Later in his career, he played for Hebei China Fortune in the Chinese Super League, beginning in 2016. He eventually returned to Italy to play for Parma Calcio 1913 in 2018. His career also included stints with the Turkish club Trabzonspor and the Greek team Aris Thessaloniki. He officially retired from professional play after a long career spanning across multiple continents and leagues.
Birthday and age
Gervinho was born on May 27, 1987, which makes Gervinho 39 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Gervinho shares the date with 60 other famous people.
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