Market value
—
Defensive Midfield Midfield
Career snapshot
9
clubs played for
00/01
debut season
0.11
goals / match
Chelsea FC
top club · 256 apps
Career highs
€38.00m
peak value · 2005
€38.00m
top transfer fee · 05/06
9
best season · 04/05
71 / 10
int'l caps / goals
545Appearances
58Goals
22Assists
100Yellow cards
2Red cards
151Full matches (90′)
| Full name | Michael Essien |
|---|---|
| Name in home country | Michael Kojo Essien |
| Date of birth | 1982-12-03 (43 yrs) |
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana |
| Citizenship | Ghana France |
| Position | Midfield - Defensive Midfield (main: Midfield) |
| Foot | right |
| Height | 178.00 m |
| Current club | Retired |
| Joined | 2020-09-09 |
| Contract expires | — |
Sep 2020
Transfer: FK Sabail → Retired
20/21 · Transfer
Jul 2019
19/20 — FK Sabail
11 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
Mar 2019
Transfer: Without Club → FK Sabail
18/19 · Transfer
Jul 2018
18/19 — FK Sabail
4 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 1 competition
Jul 2018
2018 — PERSIB Bandung
1 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 1 competition
Mar 2018
Transfer: PERSIB → Without Club
17/18 · Transfer
Mar 2017
Transfer: Without Club → PERSIB
16/17 · Transfer
Sep 2016
Transfer: Panathinaikos → Without Club
16/17 · Transfer
Jul 2016
16/17 — PERSIB Bandung
29 matches · 5 G · 1 A · across 1 competition
Jul 2015
Injury: unknown
11 games missed
Jul 2015
15/16 — Panathinaikos FC
15 matches · 1 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
Jul 2015
Transfer: AC Milan → Panathinaikos
15/16 · Transfer
Apr 2015
Injury: unknown
10 games missed
Jul 2014
14/15 — AC Milan
13 matches · 0 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
Apr 2014
Injury: unknown
3 games missed
Jan 2014
Transfer: Chelsea → AC Milan
13/14 · Transfer · €500k
Jul 2013
13/14 — AC Milan, Chelsea FC
18 matches · 0 G · 1 A · across 6 competitions
Jun 2013
Transfer: Real Madrid → Chelsea
12/13 · Return from loan
Aug 2012
Transfer: Chelsea → Real Madrid
12/13 · Loan
Jul 2012
12/13 — Real Madrid, Chelsea FC
35 matches · 2 G · 1 A · across 5 competitions
Jul 2011
Injury: unknown
36 games missed
Jul 2011
11/12 — Chelsea FC, Chelsea FC Reserves
20 matches · 0 G · 1 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2010
10/11 — Chelsea FC
44 matches · 4 G · 5 A · across 4 competitions
Jan 2010
Injury: unknown
35 games missed
Dec 2009
Injury: unknown
7 games missed
Jul 2009
09/10 — Chelsea FC
22 matches · 4 G · 1 A · across 4 competitions
Sep 2008
Injury: unknown
41 games missed
Jul 2008
08/09 — Chelsea FC
19 matches · 3 G · 0 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2007
07/08 — Chelsea FC
46 matches · 6 G · 7 A · across 5 competitions
Jul 2006
06/07 — Chelsea FC
55 matches · 6 G · 3 A · across 5 competitions
Aug 2005
Transfer: Olympique Lyon → Chelsea
05/06 · Transfer · €38.00m
Jul 2005
05/06 — Chelsea FC
42 matches · 2 G · 2 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2004
04/05 — Olympique Lyon
50 matches · 9 G · 0 A · across 4 competitions
Jul 2003
03/04 — Olympique Lyon
46 matches · 4 G · 0 A · across 5 competitions
Jul 2003
Transfer: SC Bastia → Olympique Lyon
03/04 · Transfer · €11.70m
Jul 2002
02/03 — SC Bastia
31 matches · 6 G · 0 A · across 3 competitions
Jul 2001
01/02 — SC Bastia
30 matches · 5 G · 0 A · across 3 competitions
Aug 2000
Transfer: Liberty Prof. → SC Bastia
00/01 · Transfer
Jul 2000
00/01 — SC Bastia
14 matches · 1 G · 0 A · across 2 competitions
Jan 1970
Peak market value: €38.00m
Highest valuation recorded in dataset
Minutes played by club
PERSIB Bandung
3.0%
FK Sabail
0.0%
Panathinaikos FC
6.7%
AC Milan
0.0%
Chelsea FC
57.9%
Real Madrid
6.2%
Chelsea FC Reserves
0.0%
Olympique Lyon
13.7%
SC Bastia
12.4%
| Club | Seasons | First | Last | Matches | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PERSIB Bandung | 2 | 16/17 | 2018 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 409 |
| FK Sabail | 2 | 18/19 | 19/20 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panathinaikos FC | 1 | 15/16 | 15/16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 909 |
| AC Milan | 2 | 13/14 | 14/15 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chelsea FC | 9 | 05/06 | 13/14 | 256 | 25 | 20 | 7,864 |
| Real Madrid | 1 | 12/13 | 12/13 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 846 |
| Chelsea FC Reserves | 1 | 11/12 | 11/12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Olympique Lyon | 2 | 03/04 | 04/05 | 96 | 13 | 0 | 1,856 |
| SC Bastia | 3 | 00/01 | 02/03 | 75 | 12 | 0 | 1,688 |
Career trajectory — goals, assists & market value
Goals by season
Assists by season
| Season | Competition | Club | Matches | Goals | Assists | YC | RC | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Piala Presiden | PERSIB Bandung | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19/20 | Europa League Qualifying | FK Sabail | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19/20 | Premyer Liqa | FK Sabail | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18/19 | Premyer Liqa | FK Sabail | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16/17 | Liga 1 | PERSIB Bandung | 29 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 409 |
| 15/16 | Kypello Elladas | Panathinaikos FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 15/16 | Super League 1 | Panathinaikos FC | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 909 |
| 14/15 | Italy Cup | AC Milan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14/15 | Serie A | AC Milan | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | Champions League | AC Milan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | FA Cup | Chelsea FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | League Cup | Chelsea FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | Serie A | AC Milan | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | UEFA Super Cup | Chelsea FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/13 | Champions League | Real Madrid | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/13 | Community Shield | Chelsea FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/13 | Copa del Rey | Real Madrid | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/13 | LaLiga | Real Madrid | 21 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 846 |
| 12/13 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/12 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/12 | FA Cup | Chelsea FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/12 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 14 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/12 | Reserve League | Chelsea FC Reserves | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/11 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 636 |
| 10/11 | Community Shield | Chelsea FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/11 | FA Cup | Chelsea FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/11 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 33 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 934 |
| 09/10 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 378 |
| 09/10 | Community Shield | Chelsea FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 09/10 | League Cup | Chelsea FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 09/10 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 14 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 398 |
| 08/09 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 213 |
| 08/09 | FA Cup | Chelsea FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 08/09 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 770 |
| 07/08 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 12 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 07/08 | Community Shield | Chelsea FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 07/08 | FA Cup | Chelsea FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 07/08 | League Cup | Chelsea FC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 07/08 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 27 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 349 |
| 06/07 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 465 |
| 06/07 | Community Shield | Chelsea FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 06/07 | FA Cup | Chelsea FC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 466 |
| 06/07 | League Cup | Chelsea FC | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 540 |
| 06/07 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 33 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1,485 |
| 05/06 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 05/06 | FA Cup | Chelsea FC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 05/06 | League Cup | Chelsea FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 05/06 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 31 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1,230 |
| 04/05 | Champions League | Olympique Lyon | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 186 |
| 04/05 | Coupe de France | Olympique Lyon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 04/05 | Ligue 1 | Olympique Lyon | 37 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 800 |
| 04/05 | Trophée des Champions | Olympique Lyon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 03/04 | Champions League | Olympique Lyon | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 03/04 | Coupe de France | Olympique Lyon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 03/04 | Coupe de la Ligue | Olympique Lyon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 03/04 | Ligue 1 | Olympique Lyon | 34 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 780 |
| 03/04 | Trophée des Champions | Olympique Lyon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 90 |
| 02/03 | Coupe de France | SC Bastia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 02/03 | Coupe de la Ligue | SC Bastia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 02/03 | Ligue 1 | SC Bastia | 29 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 420 |
| 01/02 | Coupe de France | SC Bastia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 01/02 | Coupe de la Ligue | SC Bastia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 178 |
| 01/02 | Division 1 | SC Bastia | 24 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 506 |
| 00/01 | Coupe de France | SC Bastia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 00/01 | Division 1 | SC Bastia | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 584 |
| Season | Date | From | To | Type | Market value | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00/01 | 2000-08-30 | Liberty Prof. | SC Bastia | Transfer | 0 | — |
| 03/04 | 2003-07-01 | SC Bastia | Olympique Lyon | Transfer | 0 | €11.70m |
| 05/06 | 2005-08-19 | Olympique Lyon | Chelsea | Transfer | 23000000 | €38.00m |
| 12/13 | 2012-08-31 | Chelsea | Real Madrid | Loan | 24000000 | — |
| 12/13 | 2013-06-30 | Real Madrid | Chelsea | Return from loan | 10000000 | — |
| 13/14 | 2014-01-25 | Chelsea | AC Milan | Transfer | 7500000 | €500k |
| 15/16 | 2015-07-01 | AC Milan | Panathinaikos | Transfer | 600000 | — |
| 16/17 | 2016-09-20 | Panathinaikos | Without Club | Transfer | 800000 | — |
| 16/17 | 2017-03-14 | Without Club | PERSIB | Transfer | 800000 | — |
| 17/18 | 2018-03-20 | PERSIB | Without Club | Transfer | 500000 | — |
| 18/19 | 2019-03-16 | Without Club | FK Sabail | Transfer | 500000 | — |
| 20/21 | 2020-09-09 | FK Sabail | Retired | Transfer | 200000 | — |
| Season | Injury | From | To | Days missed | Games missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/09 | Cruciate ligament tear | 2008-09-09 | 2009-03-01 | 174 | 41 |
| 09/10 | Thigh problems | 2009-12-12 | 2010-01-09 | 29 | 7 |
| 09/10 | Meniscus damage | 2010-01-20 | 2010-07-17 | 179 | 35 |
| 11/12 | Cruciate ligament tear | 2011-07-11 | 2012-01-11 | 185 | 36 |
| 13/14 | Muscle fiber tear | 2014-04-02 | 2014-04-24 | 23 | 3 |
| 14/15 | unknown injury | 2015-04-03 | 2015-06-02 | 61 | 10 |
| 15/16 | Adductor injury | 2015-07-22 | 2015-10-22 | 93 | 11 |
Current—
Peak€38.00m
Low—
Δ since start−€12.00m
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jan 1, 1970 | — |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €200k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €250k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €400k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €500k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €800k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €600k |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €1.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €7.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €2.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €5.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €10.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €16.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €33.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €24.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €24.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €34.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €36.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €38.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €38.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €33.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €35.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €30.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €32.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €23.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €28.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €28.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €20.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €23.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €38.00m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €36.50m |
| Jan 1, 1970 | €12.00m |
| Team | Shirt | Matches | Goals | Debut | Age at debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team #23131 | — | 5 | 0 | — | — | former national player |
| Team #22978 | #4 | 7 | 1 | — | — | former national player |
| Team #3441 | #5 | 59 | 9 | — | — | former national player |
No teammate data.
Single-season peaks across competitions in this player's career.
Top goalscoring seasons
| Season | Competition | Club | Goals | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/03 | Ligue 1 | SC Bastia | 6 | 29 |
| 07/08 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 6 | 27 |
| 04/05 | Champions League | Olympique Lyon | 5 | 10 |
Top assist seasons
| Season | Competition | Club | Assists | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/07 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 3 | 33 |
| 07/08 | Champions League | Chelsea FC | 3 | 12 |
| 07/08 | Premier League | Chelsea FC | 3 | 27 |
Every loan spell across this player's career.
| Season | Date | From | To | Type | Fee | Value at transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/13 | 2013-06-30 | Real Madrid | Chelsea | Return from loan | — | €10.00m |
| 12/13 | 2012-08-31 | Chelsea | Real Madrid | Loan | — | €24.00m |
Teams faced most often by Michael Essien's clubs during seasons he played in those competitions (team-level results, not personal head-to-head goals — see disclaimer above).
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 32 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 43 | 36 | +7 | 41% |
| Manchester City | 32 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 49 | 24 | +25 | 63% |
| Everton FC | 28 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 47 | 25 | +22 | 50% |
| Arsenal FC | 28 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 42 | 32 | +10 | 43% |
| Liverpool FC | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 27 | +7 | 39% |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 28 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 51 | 27 | +24 | 54% |
| Aston Villa | 26 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 49 | 26 | +23 | 46% |
| West Ham United | 24 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 54 | 25 | +29 | 67% |
| Newcastle United | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 45 | 19 | +26 | 50% |
| Sunderland AFC | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 56 | 24 | +32 | 77% |
| Fulham FC | 22 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 37 | 17 | +20 | 59% |
| Bolton Wanderers | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 44 | 15 | +29 | 70% |
Auto-detected milestones based on cumulative career totals.
| Season / Year | Milestone | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 00/01 | Senior debut season | |
| 00/01 | First senior goal | |
| 10/11 | Goal #50 (career) |
Yellow / second-yellow / red cards per season. Only seasons with at least one card are shown.
| Season | Matches | Mins | YC | 2nd YC | RC | Cards / 90′ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/20 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16/17 | 29 | 409 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1.98 |
| 15/16 | 15 | 909 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 |
| 14/15 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 13/14 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/13 | 35 | 846 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.74 |
| 11/12 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/11 | 44 | 1,570 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0.34 |
| 09/10 | 22 | 776 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.46 |
| 08/09 | 19 | 983 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.09 |
| 07/08 | 46 | 349 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2.58 |
| 06/07 | 55 | 2,956 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 |
| 05/06 | 42 | 1,230 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.44 |
| 04/05 | 50 | 986 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 03/04 | 46 | 870 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0.83 |
| 02/03 | 31 | 420 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2.57 |
| 01/02 | 30 | 684 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1.05 |
Output by competition
Career goals and assists broken down by tournament.
Ligue 1
137 apps
18 G
0 A
Premier League
168 apps
17 G
11 A
Champions League
76 apps
11 G
8 A
Liga 1
29 apps
5 G
1 A
LaLiga
21 apps
2 G
0 A
League Cup
15 apps
1 G
2 A
Super League 1
12 apps
1 G
0 A
FA Cup
20 apps
1 G
0 A
Trophée des Champions
2 apps
1 G
0 A
Coupe de la Ligue
4 apps
1 G
0 A
More on Michael Essien
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Frequently asked about Michael Essien
Who is Michael Essien?
Michael Essien is a Ghana professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfield for Retired.
How old is Michael Essien?
Michael Essien is 43 years old. He was born on December 3, 1982 in Accra.
What position does Michael Essien play?
Michael Essien plays as a defensive midfield (Midfield - Defensive Midfield).
What club does Michael Essien play for?
Michael Essien currently plays for Retired.
How many career goals has Michael Essien scored?
Across all senior club competitions in our dataset, Michael Essien has scored 58 goals in 545 appearances.