Michael Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who is well-known for his defensive skills. He was born on December 3, 1982 in Accra, Ghana to Aba Gyandoh and James Essien. Michael Essien studied at St. Augustine’s College, a school which was also attended by Black Stars’ Matthew Amoah. He is nicknamed ‘The Bison’ because of his formidable strength and combativeness in the midfield area.
Michael Essien represented Ghana in the Under-17 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup in New Zealand. He also played for the country in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, in which Ghana finished as the runners-up against Argentina. He made his debut for the senior side on January 21, 2002 in a match against Morocco at the African Cup of Nations (ACN). In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Michael Essien was awarded the FIFA Player of the Game for the match against Czech Republic. He was named the 2006-07 season’s BBC African Footballer of the Year, and he also featured in the 2006 Confederation of African Football (CAF) African All-Star Midfielder list. In the 2008 ACN, he was handed the Samsung Fair Play award in a match against Guinea and was named the Man of the Match twice for his performances against Namibia and Morocco.
Michael Essien started his football career playing local matches in Fanteland, but later joined the Under-17 side of the Liberty Professionals, a football club based in the suburbs of Accra. In July 2000, he signed with SC Bastia, a French club, and made 55 starts, 10 substitute appearances, and 11 goals for the club. In 2002, SC Bastia went on to become the runners-up of the French Cup. In June 2003, Michael Essien joined Olympique Lyon, a French football club, for €7.8 million. During his presence, the club went on to clinch its third and fourth consecutive French Ligue 1 titles in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. He was then voted the 2005 Player of the Year by the French National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP).
Michael Essien transferred to the Chelsea Football Club from Lyon on August 19, 2005 for a whooping £24.4 million. He made his debut for the club against Arsenal on August 21st, and by March 2006, he had scored his first goal against Totenham Hotspur for a 2-1 win. He made his first UEFA goal for Chelsea on September 12, 2006 in a match against Werder Bremen of Germany. Michael Essien scored a dramatic winning goal against Valencia, a Spanish Club, in the Champions League, which sent Chelsea to the semi-finals. He also scored against Arsenal on December 10, 2006 from nearly 35 yards from the goal post to bring the match to a draw with 1-1. The very goal was later voted to be Chelsea’s Goal of the Season. Michael Essien was voted the Chelsea Player of the Year for the 2006-07 season by his fans, making him the first African to receive the honor.
Michael Essien scored his first goal of the 2007-08 Premier League season against Birmingham City on August 12, 2007. His 49th minute winning goal helped Chelsea create a Premiership record for unbeaten league matches at home, surpassing Liverpool’s 63 consecutive home wins. In July 2008, he signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea in a £20 million deal.
