Ivorian forward Gervinho has expressed gratitude to the Serie A club Roma following his €18 million move to Hebei China Fortune.

Gervinho has posted a farewell message to the Giallorossi (one of the AS Roma nicknames) on his Instagram page.

"Wearing the Roma shirt was an honour for me," Gervinho posted.

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The incoming forward of the Chinese side Hebei China Fortune also thanked the club's supporters and his former teammates.

"AS Roma, the city and the fans will always stay in my heart. I'd like to thank all my teammates who accompanied me on this wonderful journey for two-and-a-half years, not forgetting all the people who worked at Trigoria and for the team," he wrote. "Our paths are now diverging, but I'll remain a fan of this team forever, and cherish these colours in my heart.

"Forza Roma always, your black arrow." Gervinho stated.

Gervinho started his football career at Ivorian football club ASEC Abidjan. The side produced the likes of Bonaventure Kaou, Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboue, Salomon Kalou, Romaric, Didier Ya Konan and Yaya Toure.

He also played for Toumodi before moving to the now-defunct Beveren in 2004. He played in the French Ligue 1 with the Le Mans and Lille during his stint in the league between 2007 and 2011.

The Ivorian footballer was sold to Arsenal in 2011 and moved to Roma in 2013 following Rudi Garcia's appointment as Lupi manager.

Gervinho has been voted Ivory Coast's footballer of the year twice. He has netted 17 goals in his 71 appearances for the Italian Serie A club, including six in the 14 games that he played this season.

Hebei China Fortune is a professional football club that was recently promoted to participate in the country's top domestic league, the Chinese Super League. The outfit finished second place in China League One last season.

TagsGervinho, AS Roma, Chinese Super League