Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has given credit to his former teammate Didier Drogba for carrying the bulk of the goal-scoring responsibility during their time together at the London club.
Drogba, who scored 164 goals for Chelsea, is the third all-time top scorer in the club’s history.
Essien, who played for Chelsea from 2005 to 2013, netted 25 goals and contributed 20 assists in his time with the Blues. In an exclusive interview with Joy Sports Editor Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo, the Ghanaian midfielder humbly reflected on his goal-scoring contribution, noting that he focused on scoring when it truly mattered.
“I only score when the team needs a goal. I score the important ones and leave the rest to Drogba and co,” Essien said.
When asked about his favorite goal, Essien pointed to a memorable strike against Arsenal in 2006.”My favorite ever is against Arsenal in 2006. First, because they are one of our [Chelsea’s] biggest rivals, and second, we were playing at home and had to maintain our unbeaten record,” he added.
Now retired from professional football, the 41-year-old Essien holds a UEFA License A coaching certificate and has been working as an Individual Player Coach at Danish club FC Nordsjaelland since 2020.
Meanwhile, Chelsea currently sits eighth in the 2024/2025 Premier League table, having collected seven points from their opening four matches.
