PLAYER PROFILE

Michael Essien

Position: Midfield

Height: 5'11

Weight: 12st 2lbs

Date of Birth: 1982-12-03 Accra, Ghana

Michael Essien

Chelsea completed the signing of Ghana midfielder Michael Essien from French champions Lyon in August 2005.

He ended weeks of speculation about his future by passing a medical and putting pen to paper on a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues refused to reveal how much Essien cost, but confirmed the fee was in excess of the club record £24million they paid to sign Didier Drogba from Marseille last summer.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Chelsea can confirm it has now reached an agreement with Lyon for the transfer of Michael Essien.

"Michael has also agreed personal terms and passed a medical. The transfer is a club record for Chelsea and we would all like to welcome Michael to the club."

The transfer took the Premier League champions' summer spending past the £50million mark following the arrivals of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Asier del Horno and Lassana Diarra in West London.

His first season in England saw him occasionally at the centre of controversy after a series of nasty-looking tackles, all of which failed to earn him a red card. However, he certainly helped to beef up an already powerful Chelsea midfield, as well as impressing at the World Cup with Ghana, though a suspension ruled him out of their crucial last sixteen game with Brazil.

Essien signed a new five year deal with Chelsea in July 2008, but was ruled out for the majority of the 2008/09 season after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage in September whilst on international duty with Ghana. He returned in March 2009 and went on to prove his class with a stunning volley in the Champions League semi-final second leg defeat to Barcelona.