Black Stars legend Michael Essien says it was his dream to represent Ghana in the English Premier League and it was great to do so.
He said this in an interview while reflecting on his time in the league with Chelsea in a Sky Sports documentary, “How Africa changed the Premier League”.
Essien was one of the big names signed to Chelsea under Blues former owner Roman Abramovic ; the former Bastia player joined Chelsea from Olympique Lyon for £24.4 million in 2005.
During his eight year run with Chelsea, the defensive midfielder won two Premier League titles, two FA Cup titles and the UEFA Champions League.
Reflecting on his time at Stamford Bridge, Essien said, “My dream was to play in the Premier League and when the opportunity came I jumped on it and it was great to represent Ghana in the Premier League.”
“It was very physical at the time and that was part of my football. It was not difficult for me to adapt and I showed that.”
Essien starred for Ghana at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was a member of the 2014 World Cup group.