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Michael Essien
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Michael Essien of Ghana, wearing a red jersey, jumps high to head the ball during a 2006 FIFA World Cup soccer match against the United States in Nuremberg, Germany.
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Michael Essien

Ghanaian football (soccer) player
Also known as: the Bison
Written by
Adam Augustyn
Adam Augustyn was a senior editor at Encyclopædia Britannica.
Adam Augustyn
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Michael Essien (born December 3, 1982, Accra, Ghana) is a Ghanaian professional football (soccer) player who rose to international stardom as a midfielder for the English football club Chelsea FC in the 2000s. Essien was raised in Awutu Breku, a small town in central Ghana, where his interest in football was sparked, in part, by his father, who was a former local professional player. At age 12 the younger Essien relocated to Accra with his...

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