Michael Essien is beloved by Chelsea fans not only for his abilities on the field, but also for his personality and character off it.
Injuries sadly plagued his later years at the club, and we never really saw the best of him again after a superb early run in the team.
By 2012 he wasn’t a regular, and he watched the Champions League final from the bench.
Goal.com have some really interesting quotes from him today where he reveals how he felt about being left out by Roberto Di Matteo:
“He said I was not match fit which I didn’t appreciate because if that’s the case, why did I play 120 minutes some few weeks ago against Napoli? But anyway everyone sees things differently so I didn’t mind because I was working for the team.”
That response pretty well sums up Essien – a real fierce competitor, and one who would hate to miss any game, but also ultimately a good guy and a team player.
While he didn’t play in the final, he was important to the team in so many great European ties over the years (who can forget his stunning volley against Barcelona a few years before) that he more than deserved his medal.
As much as we would have liked to see him on the pitch in Munich, we’re hardly going to criticise RDM’s decisions after he came home with that trophy.
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