‘I Have Faced Many Difficult Challenges In My Life ” – Michael Essien An Inspiration To Nigerian Youths.
Michael Essien who is a Ghanaian Professional Footballers have faced many difficult challenges and despite all odds it turns out to be successful.
Michael Kojo Essien was born in Accra on the 3rd day of December 1982. He was born to his mother, Aba Gyandoh and father, James Essien.
Essien attended Gomoa Nyanyano DC Primary and JSS in Ghana. He was this humble and intelligent school child during his childhood days.
He began his football career after graduating from St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast, playing at a local club called Liberty Professionals. Essien broke through when he played in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand. European scouts began to take notice, and Essien had a trial at Manchester United in April 2000. He played in the club’s under-17 team’s defeat to Derby County.
Manchester United offered him a contract, but he was ineligible to obtain a work permit in the United Kingdom. He, therefore, considered joining Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp until he was eligible to move to England. However, his mother meanwhile preferred a move to France instead.
After a five-year stint in France, Essien acquired French citizenship. He played for Bastia from 2000 until 2003, and Lyon from 2003 to 2005 before making the move to Chelsea. The rest, as they say, is now history.
Due to his tough tackling style and boundless energy, Essien’s physical presence on the pitch has earned him the name, ‘The Bison’.
`His physicality throughout the pitch has seen him compared favourably with the likes of Edgar Davids and Claude Makelele as excellent holding midfielders of the past.
Lyon and Chelsea agreed on a $26-million deal to transfer Essien to Chelsea. It ended one of the longest-running transfer sagas in English soccer history. Essien went on to become an important player for the London club.
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