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Michael Kojo Essien (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Panathinaikos and the Ghana national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert energy in supporting offensive and defensive play and for his tough tackling style which has earned him the nickname "The Bison".〔("Michael Essien" ). ''Chelseafc.com''. Retrieved 21 January 2013.〕 Essien can also play as a defender, both on the right of defence and in the centre. Essien started his career playing for Liberty Professionals in his home country. In 2000, he moved to France joining Bastia. Essien spent three seasons at the club appearing in over 60 matches before joining league champions Olympique Lyonnais in 2003. At Lyon, Essien won back-to-back league titles in 2003–04 and 2004–05 and also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. During his five-year stint in France, he acquired French citizenship. In 2005, Essien signed with Chelsea for a fee of £24.4 million and, at the time of his signing, was the most expensive African footballer in history. At Chelsea, Essien helped the club win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as three FA Cups and one Football League Cup. In 2008, he appeared in the UEFA Champions League Final. He has won the Chelsea Goal of the season award twice, in the 2006–07 and 2008–09 seasons. Essien is a Ghanaian international. At 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. Essien made his senior team debut in January 2002 and has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where Ghana reached the Round of 16. He is often referred to as ''the Bison'' for his tough tackling style, boundless energy and physical presence on the pitch. ==Early life== Born in Accra to Aba Gyandoh and James Essien, Essien attended Gomoa Nyanyano DC Primary and JSS. He began his football career after graduating from St. Augustine's College in Cape Coast, playing at a local club called Liberty Professionals. Essien broke through when he played in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=New Zealand 1999 – Team:Ghana ) 〕 European scouts began to take notice, and Essien had a trial at Manchester United in April 2000. He played in the club's Under-17 team's defeat to Derby County. Manchester United offered him a contract, but he was ineligible to obtain work permit in the U.K. He therefore considered joining Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp until he was eligible to move to England. His mother meanwhile preferred a move to France instead. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Michael Essien」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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