People questioned whether I was worth the hefty £24.4m – Michael Essien

0

Former Ghanaian international Michael Essien has shared that his record transfer fee from Olympique Lyon to Chelsea raised eyebrows at the time.

Essien made the move to Chelsea for £24.4 million, making him the club’s most expensive signing during the 2005 transfer window.

While the transfer fulfilled a lifelong dream for Essien, there was widespread criticism over the hefty fee the club paid for him.

Now, 19 years after his arrival at Stamford Bridge, Essien reflected on how he was driven to prove his critics wrong by putting in the hard work under Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho.

“My dream was to play in the Premier League, and when the opportunity came, I jumped on it. It was great to represent Ghana in the Premier League,” Essien said.

“It was a big transfer move at the time. Those who didn’t know me questioned whether I was worth the money. But it was up to me to show it. Mourinho gave me all the confidence.

It was very physical at that time, and that was my focus. It was very hard to adapt, but I showed that, and quickly the fans fell in love with me, and the rest is history.”

Essien enjoyed a successful spell at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the League Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here