Michael Essien: Blues' elite midfielder combined of skills, brain and strength

Michael Essien: Blues' elite midfielder combined of skills, brain and strength

Michael Essien was one of the most successful signings of the early Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea, joining the Blues from Lyon in 2005 before going on to dominate the midfield alongside Frank Lampard.

Michael Essien was something you didn’t find quite often: a physical, strong, defender that could also take the ball upfront with a nice touch and court vision. His combination of skills, brains, and strength made him an elite midfielder for years, although he was never able to lead his Ghanian national team to success. He won one African Player of the Year award, though.

Stats:

Club goals: 58

Club Assists: 22

Match: 545

Ghana national team:

Goals: 9

Matches: 58

Achievements:

1X CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNER

2X EPL CHAMPION

2X LIGUE1 CHAMPION

3X ENGLISH FA CUP WINNER

1X ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP WINNER

1X ENGLISH SUPER CUP WINNER

2X FRENCH SUPER CUP WINNER