Parma midfielder Afriyie Acquah has given credit to Michael Essien for the significant role he has played in making him a better player.

Acquah, 22, has had a good campaign with Parma in the Serie A, prompting many to clamour for his inclusion in the Ghana squad for the 2014 World Cup.

The former Palermo player said Milan signing Essien has been an inspiration to him.

“Essien has inspired me a lot. During his days at Chelsea, I used to watch him and pick a lot from his game. He is strong and does well even without the ball; he has enjoyed the game with a lot of success," Acquah told Footy-Ghana.com.

“I picked a lot from that during his time in England and now that he is in Italy, things got easier for me. We speak and he is like a big brother to me; his advices help me a lot. I always want to pick something new from the experienced players like him and the rest of the Ghanaian players.”

Acquah is currently one of the consistent and best performing Ghanaian players abroad.