Sports
Michael Essien reveals how his mum inspired his football career
Former Ghanaian and Chelsea FC midfielder, Michael Essien has revealed how his mother played a vital role in his football career.
The 36-year old, who made over 50 appearances for Ghana’s national team, said his mother encouraged him to join the youth team when he was still a schoolboy.
At 16, Essien represented his country at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, before featuring at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship.
The Chelsea legend admits that that moment with his mum was special, as he has gone on to win for himself several accolades both in his club career and on the international scene.
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“When I was selected for the national Under 17 side, I was in school at the time,” Essien said in an interview with FIFA TV.
“My mum said it’s going to be a difficult one, and asked do you really want to go?
“I think my answer was no. But my mum sat me down and said, my son, you should go.”
The Black Stars legend went on to debut for the senior national team in 2002, and was capped 58 times, with 9 goals to his name by 2014.
Essien is one of FIFA’s ambassadors to promote this year’s Women’s World Cup in France.
He joins the likes of France’s Marcel Desailly, Brazil’s Gilberto Silva, Spain’s Michel Salgado, Argentina’s Esteban Cambiasso, Australia’s Tim Cahill and former South Korean star Park Ji-sung for the role.
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