Michael Essien: I won’t follow ex-Chelsea team-mate John Terry into retirement just yet
AS ONE Chelsea legend retires, another is refusing to hang up the boots just yet.
John Terry, the former England and Chelsea captain, announced he has called time on his hugely-successful, trophy-laden 23-year career.
The 37-year-old is preparing now to move into coaching.
Michael Essien, 35, played alongside Terry at Stamford Bridge for eight seasons, winning two Premier League crowns, four FA Cup finals and one League Cup during the club’s most successful period.
The Ghanaian was also there, on the subs’ bench, when the West Londoners famously lifted the Champions League in 2012 in Munich.
Yet while Terry, as well as the likes of ex-Blues stars Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, have all hung up their boots and made key plans post-playing, Essien remains in limbo.
Even though he doesn’t have a club at present, amazingly he is still available for hire and hungry to play.
Speaking to SunSport, Essien says: "Why haven’t I retired? I love this game too much.
"It gets to a point that the older you get the more you enjoy the game.
"There’s no pressure on you. You want to go out there and enjoy yourself.
"I’m still thinking about what I can do when I hang up my shoes. And I really don’t know what to do.
"If something comes up, then I’ll be interested. Then I’ll think about what I can do next.
"I still want to stay football and find out what I can do.
"John is a leader, one of the best I’ve played under.
"He knows what to say at the right time. If he decides to be a manager, he’ll be a good one."
Essien, a free agent since March, lives in London and maintains his fitness by training several times a week with Chelsea reserves in Cobham.
His weight remains as low as it did during his pomp.
He quips: "I don’t eat as much as I used to. I eat less in fact."
Nicknamed The Bison, Essien was a powerful box-to-box central midfielder, a player who combined physical prowess with a solid technique and game intelligence.
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On several occasions, he was nominated for the Balon d’Or and the Fifa World Player of the Year awards.
He was also crowned the best African player in 2006.
You wonder why a midfielder of his stature and class, one who was good enough to play (on loan) with Real Madrid and AC Milan during a decorated career, doesn’t simply pack it all in?
Besides the odd charity match appearance, it’s not as if he has been inundated with offers. His last venture was a 12-month spell with Indonesian club Persib Bandung, which ended in March 2018.
The Indonesian top league had been riddled with corruption scandals and crowd violence. It even served a one-year Fifa ban after governmental interference in the running of the game.
When that suspension was lifted in 2016, the league decided to recruit high-profile stars with the offers of lucrative salaries.
But, despite all the riches, the Persib players sometimes feared for their own safety in the football-mad country.
Essien recalls: “Indonesia was good – and crazy, too! It was a great experience to play there. I enjoyed the football. It wasn’t easy. It’s very hot.
“Most clubs there don’t have training facilities. The food is okay. They eat a lot of rice and noodles.
“Sometimes when we played against our rivals we had to go to the stadium in an armoured tank! That was for our protection. You never see that in Europe. It was crazy but it was the only way to get there safely.”
Essien admits it is “frustrating” playing at a lower level than the Premier League but accepts in “football, you have to adapt to the style of play”.
Like most leading pros, injuries took their toll.
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But Essien is adamant he can still offer an appropriate club his services in the latter stages of his career. He is prepared to carry on waiting for as long as it takes.
“The injuries and knees have slowed me down a little bit, but they are still strong, they are still good. I can train. I don't run as much as I used to but then I use the brain more.
“I’m happy I can train and play. Not everyone with these injuries can still play at this level. I’m just lucky.”
Nissan is the automotive partner of the Champions League, now in its fifth season of sponsorship. UEFA ambassador Michael Essien was at the London launch of the UK leg of the Champions League Trophy Tour driven by Nissan. For the full story, visit .