Ghanaian deputy captain, Thomas Partey has revealed the one special player who inspired him during his days as an amateur player.
He said; “As a young Thomas Partey, there was one player I always watched closer than anyone else and that is Michael Essien.”
The 27-year-old central-midfielder stated that, Essien was a real fighter and he’s not not a mentor to him but he is also a legend of the game.
“He’s a fantastic midfielder,” Partey told Arsenal.com. “He fights for every ball, he’s a great legend. For me, he’s one of the best midfielders that we’ve ever had in Africa.
“I think we’ve all seen what he has done at Chelsea, what he has done for the Black Stars and for me, he’s my idol.
“I grew up watching Michael Essien, Muntari, the Ayew brothers – they are the people I look up to and they made a lot of impact on Ghanaians. I think this is my moment and I have to make sure I take it”, he concluded.
Partey will miss Ghana’s double-header AFCON qualifying games against Sudan due to an injury.