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| Michael Kojo Essien (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently a member of Danish Superliga club Nordsjælland's coaching staff. He also played for the Ghana national team, earning more than 50 caps. During his prime, Essien was considered one of the best midfielders in the world. He was known not only for his defensive ability, but also his knack for scoring long-range goals.
Essien started his career, playing for Liberty Professionals in Ghana. In 2000, he moved to France to join Bastia, where he would spend three seasons and appear in over 60 matches before joining Ligue 1 title holders Lyon in 2003. At Lyon, Essien won back-to-back league titles in 2003–04 and 2004–05, and won Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2005. The same year, Essien signed with Premier League side Chelsea for a £24.4 million transfer fee. The fee made him the most expensive African footballer at that time. Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License - Full article |
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| Appearances, goals and cards for Essien
Friendlies 2014
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