Michael Essien facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michael Essien

Essien in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Michael Kojo Essien
Date of birth	(1982-12-03) 3 December 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth	Accra, Ghana
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Nordsjælland (assistant coach)
Youth career
1998–1999	Liberty Professionals
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2003	Bastia	66	(11)
2003–2005	Lyon	71	(7)
2005–2014	Chelsea	168	(17)
2012–2013	→ Real Madrid (loan)	21	(2)
2014–2015	AC Milan	20	(0)
2015–2016	Panathinaikos	16	(1)
2017–2018	Persib Bandung	29	(5)
2019–2020	Sabail	14	(0)
Total		402	(43)
National team
2002–2014	Ghana	59	(9)
Teams managed
2020–	Nordsjælland (assistant)
Honours Representing  Ghana Men's football Africa Cup of Nations Third 2008 Ghana Runner-up 2010 Angola
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Michael Kojo Essien (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach at the Danish club Nordsjælland.

Essien played as a midfielder. He started his career in Ghana with Liberty Professionals. In 2000, he moved to France to play for Bastia. After three seasons, he joined Ligue 1 champions Lyon in 2003.

At Lyon, Essien won two league titles in a row. He was also named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2005. That same year, Essien joined Premier League team Chelsea. His transfer fee was £24.4 million, making him the most expensive African footballer at that time.

With Chelsea, Essien helped the club win the Premier League twice. They also won three FA Cups and one League Cup. He was part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League in 2012. He also won the Chelsea Goal of the Season award twice.

Essien also played for the Ghana national team, appearing in over 50 matches. He helped Ghana finish third in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He also helped them become runners-up in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. Essien played for Ghana in three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He also represented Ghana at the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

Early Life and Youth Football

Michael Essien was born in Accra, Ghana. His parents are Aba Gyandoh and James Essien. He went to Gomoa Nyanyano DC Primary and JSS.

He started his football journey after finishing school at St. Augustine's College. He played for a local club called Liberty Professionals. Essien grew up supporting Aston Villa, a team his father loved. He looked up to player Paul McGrath and copied his playing style.

Essien became well-known after playing in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand. European scouts noticed him, and he had a trial with Manchester United in April 2000. He played for their under-17 team.

Manchester United offered him a contract. However, he could not get a work permit for the UK. He thought about joining a Belgian club, Royal Antwerp. But his mother wanted him to move to France instead.

Club Career Highlights

Playing in France: Bastia and Lyon

In July 2000, Essien joined the French club Bastia. He made his first appearance on 30 September 2000. He played as a substitute against Metz. At first, he played in different defensive positions.

In his first season, he played 13 league matches and scored one goal. The next season, his coach, Robert Nouzaret, let him play in central midfield. Essien did very well in this new role. He scored important goals against teams like Nantes and Lorient.

In the 2002–03 season, Essien became a regular starter. He scored six league goals, including one against Lyon. After this season, big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon wanted him.

Paris Saint-Germain offered the most money, and Bastia accepted. But Essien chose to join Lyon instead. Lyon paid Bastia €7.8 million for him. Essien wore the number 4 shirt at Lyon. He played as a box-to-box midfielder, helping both defense and attack.

He scored his first goal for Lyon in his debut match on 27 July 2003. Lyon won the match 2–1, and Essien won his first trophy. He helped Lyon win their third league title in a row in 2004.

In his last season at Lyon (2004–05), Essien played almost every league match. Lyon won their fourth league title in a row. Essien scored three goals and received 11 yellow cards. His great performances led to him being voted the 2005 Player of the Year in France. He also helped Lyon reach the quarter-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League.

Joining Chelsea: A Big Move

Essien playing for Chelsea in 2006

On 14 August 2005, Essien joined Chelsea for £24.4 million. This was one of the longest transfer stories at the time. It made Essien Chelsea's most expensive signing ever.

Essien made his Chelsea debut on 21 August 2005. He came on as a substitute against Arsenal. Chelsea won the match 1–0. He quickly became an important player for manager José Mourinho. He started in 31 league matches that season.

In December 2005, Essien received a two-match ban from UEFA. This was for a tackle on Dietmar Hamann. Essien apologized to Hamann, saying he didn't mean to hurt him. Hamann accepted his apology.

Essien scored his first goal for Chelsea on 11 March 2006. It was in a 2–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. He scored his second goal against Everton in April 2006.

In October 2006, Essien was nominated for the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Award. He also won the 2006 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.

The next season, Essien scored many important goals. He scored his first Champions League goal for Chelsea against Werder Bremen. He also scored a late winning goal against Valencia in the Champions League quarter-finals. This goal sent Chelsea to the semifinals.

On 15 May 2007, Chelsea fans voted Essien as their Player of the Year. He was the first African player to win this award. His goal against Arsenal was also voted Chelsea Goal of the Season.

In July 2008, Essien signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea. This kept him at the club until 2013.

Essien playing for Chelsea in 2010

Essien got a serious knee injury in September 2008 while playing for Ghana. Many feared he would miss the whole season. But he returned in March 2009. In his second match back, he scored a key goal against Juventus in the Champions League.

On 6 May 2009, Essien scored a fantastic volley against Barcelona. This goal was later voted Chelsea's Goal of the Season.

In the 2009–10 season, Essien scored his first goal with a powerful 35-yard shot. He scored two goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He got injured again during the 2010 African Nations Cup. This meant he missed the rest of the English season.

Essien returned to action in July 2010. He scored the only goal in a friendly match against Crystal Palace. He had a strong start to the 2010–11 season. He scored two goals against West Ham United. He also scored in the Champions League against MŠK Žilina.

In 2011, Essien got another serious knee injury during pre-season training. He had surgery in July 2011. He returned to play in January 2012. He made his 150th Premier League appearance for Chelsea.

Essien struggled to get playing time under manager André Villas-Boas. But when Roberto Di Matteo became caretaker manager, Essien played more. He started in Chelsea's Champions League match against Napoli. Chelsea won and went on to win the Champions League that season.

Loan to Real Madrid

Essien playing for Real Madrid in 2013

On 31 August 2012, Essien joined Real Madrid on a loan for one season. He reunited with his former Chelsea manager, José Mourinho. Mourinho called Essien "his son," and Essien called Mourinho his "Daddy." Essien scored his first goal for Real Madrid on 3 November. He scored his second goal in his last game for Madrid, dedicating it to Mourinho.

Later Club Career

Essien signed with Italian club AC Milan in January 2014. He played for them for a year and a half.

On 2 June 2015, Essien signed a two-year contract with Greek club Panathinaikos. He became the club's highest-paid player. He spent the first three months recovering from a leg injury. He scored his first goal for Panathinaikos in January 2016. After one season, he left the club.

In March 2017, Essien joined Indonesian club Persib Bandung. He signed a one-year contract and wore the number 5 shirt. He said he hoped his move would encourage other famous players to come to Indonesia. He scored his first goal for Persib on 22 April. In March 2018, Persib released Essien because they had too many foreign players.

On 16 March 2019, Essien signed with Sabail FK in Azerbaijan. He signed a one-and-a-half-year contract. This deal also included coaching their U19 team.

International Career for Ghana

Essien tackling Makoto Hasebe of Japan in a friendly match in 2009

Essien's international journey began with the Ghana under-17 national team. They were called the Black Starlets. He played in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand and won a bronze medal. In 2001, he played in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship with the Black Satellites. Ghana finished second to Argentina. His great performances made many people see him as a future African star.

Essien made his first senior appearance for the Ghana national team on 21 January 2002. This was in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations against Morocco.

In May 2006, Essien was chosen to play for Ghana at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played in midfield with captain Stephen Appiah. Ghana became the only African team to reach the second round of the 2006 World Cup. However, Essien was suspended for their match against Brazil, which Ghana lost.

In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Essien played very well. He helped the team reach the semifinals. In the quarter-final against Nigeria, he became captain after John Mensah was sent off. Ghana won 2–1. Essien was named an All-Star Player in the tournament.

Essien got another knee injury in September 2008 while playing for Ghana. This meant he missed most of the 2008–09 season. He still played in 10 of Ghana's 11 World Cup qualification matches. Ghana finished first in their group and qualified for the 2010 World Cup. However, Essien missed the 2010 FIFA World Cup because his injury had not fully healed.

After his injuries, Essien said he would take a break from the Ghana national team. He wanted to focus on his club career. He later said he would be available for his country again "very soon."

Essien returned to Ghana's squad in August 2013 for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He helped Ghana qualify for the tournament finals. He played one match in the World Cup, coming on as a substitute against the United States.

In July 2018, Essien announced his retirement from international football. He had played for Ghana for over 12 years. He mentioned that he had actually retired before the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But the coach, James Kwesi Appiah, asked him to come back and help the team.

Coaching Career

Nordsjælland Assistant Coach

On 19 August 2020, it was announced that Essien was training with the Danish club Nordsjælland. He also got the chance to work with their main team and youth academy teams. This helped him learn about coaching and developing young players. Nordsjælland works with the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana.

On 9 September 2020, the club confirmed that Essien had joined their coaching team. He became an assistant coach for the 2020–21 season.

Playing Style and Nickname

Essien was a very strong midfielder. He often played in the center of the field. He was known as a box-to-box midfielder. This means he had a lot of energy to help both attack and defense. He was also known for his powerful tackles. Because of his strong and tough playing style, he earned the nickname "The Bison."

Essien could also play as a defender. He could play on the right side or in the center of the defense. Besides his hard work and physical strength, Essien also had good skills. He had good vision, understood tactics well, and was a leader. He could also shoot the ball very powerfully from far away.

Career Statistics

Club

International

List of international goals scored by Michael Essien

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 September 2004	Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana	Cape Verde	1-0	2-0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	18 June 2005	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	South Africa	2-0	2-0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	4 September 2005	Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana	Uganda	1-0	2-0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	6 April 2006	Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland	South Korea	3-1	3-1	Friendly
5	8 September 2006	Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea	South Korea	2-0	3-1	Friendly
6	29 January 2008	Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra, Ghana	Morocco	1-0	2-0	2008 Africa Cup of Nations
7	3 February 2008	Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra, Ghana	Nigeria	1-1	2-1	2008 Africa Cup of Nations
8	26 March 2008	Craven Cottage Stadium, Fulham, England	Mexico	1-0	1-2	Friendly
9	6 September 2009	Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra, Ghana	Sudan	2-0	2-0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Awards and Achievements

Lyon

• Ligue 1: 2003–04, 2004–05
• Trophée des Champions: 2003, 2004

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2005–06, 2009–10
• FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12
• Football League Cup: 2006–07; runner-up: 2007–08
• FA Community Shield: 2009
• UEFA Champions League: 2011–12; runner-up: 2007–08

Ghana

• Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2010; third place: 2008
• FIFA U-17 World Cup runner-up: 1999
• FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 2001

Individual Awards

• Ligue 1 Player of the Month: October 2004
• Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2004–05
• Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2002–03, 2004–05
• CAF Team of the Year: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
• BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2006
• Ghana Player of the Year: 2007
• Chelsea Player of the Year: 2007
• Chelsea Goal of the Year: 2006–07 vs Arsenal, 2008–09 vs Barcelona
• 2008 Africa Cup of Nations: Team of the Tournament

See also

In Spanish: Michael Essien para niños