MICHAEL ESSIEN PROFILE

MICHAEL ESSIEN BIOGRAPHY

Michael Kojo Essien born in Accra, Ghana 3 December 1982 is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for English club Chelsea and the Ghana national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play. Essien can also play in the defending position as a right back or centre back.

Essien began his career playing for Liberty Professionals in his home country. In 2000, he moved to France joining SC Bastia. Essien spent three seasons at the club appearing in over 60 matches before joining league champions Olympique Lyonnais in 2003. At Lyon, Essien won back-to-back league titles in 2003�04 and 2004�05 and also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. During his five-year stint in France, he acquired French citizenship. In 2005, Essien signed with Chelsea for a fee of �24.4 million and, at the time of his signing, was the most expensive African footballer in history. At Chelsea, Essien helped the club win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as three FA Cups and one Football League Cup. In 2008, he appeared in the UEFA Champions League Final.

Essien is a Ghanaian international. At youth level, he represented his country at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship and 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship with the latter team finishing as runner-up. Essien made his senior team debut in January 2002 and has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where Ghana reached the Round of 16. He is often referred to as the Bison for his tough tackling style, boundless energy and physical presence on the pitch

Born in Accra to Ghanaian parents, Aba Gyandoh and James Essien, Essien attended Gomoa Nyanyano DC Primary and JSS and began his football career after graduating from St. Augustine's College in Cape Coast, playing in a local club in his native Ghana, called Liberty Professionals. He broke through when he played in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand.This led to attention from European scouts, and he even had a trial at Manchester United in April 2000, playing in the club's Under-17 team's defeat by Derby County'.

MICHAEL ESSIEN PROFILE

Full name: Michael Kojo Essien
Date of birth: 3 December 1982
Place of birth: Accra, Ghana
Height : 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position: Midfielder,Defender

Club information
Current club: Chelsea
Number: 5

Youth career
1999�2000 Liberty Professionals

Senior career
2000�2003 Bastia 65 (11)
2003�2005 Lyon 71 (8)
2005� Chelsea 139 (17)

National team
2002� Ghana 51 (9)