Squad: Michael Essien

Michael Essien


When he signed for Chelsea in 2005, José Mourinho defined Essien as a "multifunctional" player. The Ghanaian international has a quality that stands out above everything else: his versatility. The Real Madrid player has spent most of his career in midfield but has also played at right-back and in central defence.

After shining for Ghana u-17s in the 1999 New Zealand World Cup,