POL picks their favourite Chelsea players: Zola, Lampard, Mikel?

Andre Carlisle – Michael Essien

“Comes out to Essee-yAAANNN!” – A bewitched Martin Tyler on May 6th, 2007.

Michael Essien is a bit of a tragic figure in that injury cut short the promise of a rare talent. Sure, he was a vital part of the Chelsea squad for most of the Blues’ initial breakthrough years, but in nine seasons with Chelsea he only managed 168 Premier League appearances (which averages to just over 18.5 matches per season). Still he remains a beloved figure to all Chelsea fans, but to this one he was a bit more.

A powerful box-to-box defensive midfielder (you read that right) with the grit to mop up in front of defense allowing Frank Lampard the freedom to get into the box, but also a penchant for the remarkable. With Lampard and Didier Drogba rewriting Chelsea’s goalscoring records, it’s truly amazing that a guy with only 25 Chelsea goals managed to score so many memorable ones.

Essien may not have been the flashiest or anywhere near the best Chelsea player, but there is very little that matches the excitement of the Bison winding up his leg muscles while running onto a ball from midfield. Games played by grown men are meaningless without emotion, and watching Essien burst into frame to infuse a ball with rage, power, intent, technique and accuracy was an experience.

What makes Essien a player so close to my heart is that he’s a reminder that some things are too good to be true. And while the big picture of that is somewhat depressing, the inverse commands that we savor each good moment. It’s almost as if the universe knew Michael Essien wouldn’t be at his peak for very long and gifted him with the ability to produce the types of goals that stick with you. Savor them.