Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian former professional football player who played as a midfielder and is currently a member of Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjælland’s coaching staff.  During his prime, he was considered one of the best midfielders in Africa. He started playing football for the youth team of Liberty Professionals in 1998. He then played for Bastia, Lyon, Chelsea, Real Madrid (loan), Milan, Panathinaikos, Persib Bandung, and Sabail. He spent most of his professional career at Chelsea where he made over 250 appearances for the club, scoring over 20 goals and providing over 15 assists in all the competitions. At Chelsea, he helped the club win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as four FA Cups, one League Cup, and FA Community Shield. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2012, while also placing as runner-up in the 2008 UEFA Champions League.

On the international level, he has represented Ghana at various age levels. At the 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. He made his international team debut for Ghana on 4 January 2002. He has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and at the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. In July 2018, he has announced his retirement from international football, after over 12 years of active service with Ghana. He played 59 times for the Ghana national team between 2002 and 2014 where he scored 9 goals for his nation.

What is Michael Essien Famous For?

• Being a professional football player.

Honors 

• Won 2003-04, 2004-05 Ligue 1 with Lyon.
• Won 2003, 2004 Trophee de Champions with Lyon. 
• Won the 2005-06, 2009-10 Premier League with Chelsea. 
• Won the 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12 FA Cup with Chelsea.
• Won the 2006-07 Football League Cup with Chelsea.
• Won the 2009 FA Community Shield with Chelsea.
• Won the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League with Chelsea.

Individual

• Won the 2004-05 Ligue 1 Player of the Year.
• Won the 2006 BBC African Footballer of the Year.
• Won the 2007 Ghana Player of the Year.
• Won the 2006-07 Chelsea Player of the Year.
• Won the Chelsea Goal of the Year: 2006-07 vs Arsenal, 2008-09 vs Barcelona. 

Where is Michael Essien From?

Michael Kojo Essien was born on 3 December 1982. His birthplace is Accra, Ghana. He was born to his father, James Essien, and his mother, Aba Gyandoh. He attended Gomoa Nyanyano DC Primary and JSS n Ghana. He holds Ghanaian nationality. He belongs to the African ethnicity. His religion is Christianity. His horoscope sign is Sagittarius. 

Source: @gettyimages

Michael Essien Club Career

• He began his football career after graduating from St. Augustine's College in Cape Coast, playing at a local club called Liberty Professionals in 1998.
• On 30 August 2000, he was signed by Division 1 club Bastia for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut for the club on 30 September 2000 in a 1-0 win against Metz. On 7 February 2001, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-2 loss against Metz. 
• He spend three seasons at Bastia where he made 74 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals in all the competitions. 
• On 1 July 2003, he joined Lyon for a reported transfer fee of €7.8 million. Upon his arrival, he was assigned the number 4 shirt. He scored on his debut for the club on 27 July 2003 in a 2-1 win against Auxerre in the final of the 2003 Trophee des Champions.
• He spend two seasons at Lyon where he made 96 appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals in all the competitions. At Lyon, he won back-to-back league titles in 2003-04 and 2004-05 and won Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2005.
• On 14 August 2005, he signed for Premier League club Chelsea for a £24.4 million transfer fee where at the time of his signing, he was the most expensive African footballer in history. He made his debut for the club on 21 August 2005 in a 1-0 win against Arsenal, wearing the number 5 on his shirt. On 11 March 2006, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win against Spurs. 

Source: @citisportsonline

• He spent most of his professional career at Chelsea where he made over 250 appearances for the club, scoring over 20 goals and providing over 15 assists in all the competitions. At Chelsea, he helped the club win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as four FA Cups, one League Cup, and FA Community Shield. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2012, while also placing as runner-up in the 2008 UEFA Champions League. He has won the Chelsea Goal of the Season award twice, in the 2006-07 and 2008-09 seasons.
• On 31 August 2012, he signed a season-long loan deal with Real Madrid, reuniting him with his former manager at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho. He made his debut for the club on 18 August 2012 in a 3-2 win against Manchester City in the group stage match of 2012-13 UEFA Champions League. On 3 November 2012, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4-0 win against Real Zaragoza. During his loan spell at Real Madrid, he made 35 appearances for the club, scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist in all the competitions.
• On 25 January 2015, he signed for Italian club Milan on a one-and-a-half-year contract. He made his debut for the club on 8 February 2014 in a 3-1 loss against SSC Napoli. In his first season, he made 7 appearances for the club in all the competitions.
• During his 2014-15 season, he made 13 appearances for the club in all the competitions.
• On 2 June 2015, he signed a two-year contract with the Greek club Panathinaikos. The deal made him the club's highest-paid player, with an annual salary of €800,000. He spent the first three months of the season recovering from a leg injury. He made his debut for the club on 28 November 2015 in a 1-0 loss to Iraklis. On 24 January 2016, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win against APO Levadiakos. In his first season, he made 15 appearances for the club, scoring once in all the competitions.

Source: @modernghana

• After a season in Greece, he was omitted from Panathinaikos' squad for the 2016-17 season, with the expectation he would be released from his contract. His termination by the club was confirmed almost three months later after the two parties reached a mutual agreement over his release.
• After the agreement was reached and he was released from his contract, the club failed to remit the money owed to him and he appealed to the competent court for football affairs in Greece, which ordered Panathinaikos to pay him the outstanding sum of about €36,000 or face the deduction of three points in the coming 2018/19 competition.
• On 13 March 2017, he joined the Indonesian club side Persib Bandung, signing a one-year contract with an option to extend for an additional year. He took the number 5 shirt for the 2017 Liga 1 season, the same number he wore during his nine years at Chelsea. He made his debut for the club on 15 April 2017 in a 0-0 draw to Arema Cronus. On 22 April 2017, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw to PS TNI. During his 2016-17 season, he made 29 appearances for the club, scoring 5 goals and providing 1 assist in all the competitions. 

Source: @talksport

• On 17 March 2018, Persib's club chief executive, Zainuri Hasyim said that Persib has now released him because the club already filling their maximum quota of four foreign players based on the PSSI's regulation.
• On 16 March 2019, he signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Sabail FK of the Azerbaijan Premier League where he made 11 appearances for the club in all the competitions. 
• He retired from active playing in 2020 while playing for Sabail FK, after the end of the 2019-20 season.

Michael Essien International Career

• He has represented Ghana at various age levels. 
• At the 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. 

Source: @goal

• He made his international team debut for Ghana on 4 January 2002. 
• He has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and at the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. 
• In July 2018, he has announced his retirement from international football, after over 12 years of active service with Ghana. 
• He played 59 times for the Ghana national team between 2002 and 2014 where he scored 9 goals for his nation.

Michael Essien Wife

Looking at his personal life, he is a married guy. He got married to his beautiful girlfriend, Akosua Puni Essien in September 2012 at a private ceremony in London. The couple is blessed with two children: Michael Essien Jr and Michelle Essien. He has an intimate relationship with his wife and children where they are living their life happily together. 

Source: @modernghana

Michael Essien Height and Weight

Michael Essien stands at a height of 1.78m i.e. 5 feet and 10 inches tall. He has a bodyweight of 85kg. He has an athletic body build. His eye color and hair color are black. His sexual orientation is straight. 

Michael Essien Net Worth and Salary

Michael Essien is a retired professional footballer who had played for clubs like Bastia, Lyon, Chelsea, Real Madrid (loan), Milan, Panathinaikos, Persib Bandung, and Sabail. He has earned from his professional career as a football player and now earns from his professional career as a football coach. His income is from contracts, salaries, bonuses, and endorsements. As of 2021, his estimated net worth of $35 million where his salary is not revealed yet. Any updates on his salary will be updated here soon.