Indonesian outfit Persib Bandung have confirmed that they have completed the signing of former Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan midfielder Michael Essien.
The former Ghana international, who earned 58 caps for his country, has been without a club since last year after having his deal with Panathinaikos prematurely terminated.
Essien was seen training with Chelsea over the summer in 2016 in an attempt to get his fitness back up, whilst he was also pictured in the stands at a few home games this season.
The central midfielder, however, will now be residing in Indonesia after signing a one-year contract with Persib Bandung, where he will wear the No.5 shirt for his new team.
“I hope I am the prelude to other world players moving to Indonesia,” Essien told the club’s official website. “Hopefully this is a good beginning for Indonesian football and also for Persib.
Essien’s most famous spell in football came when he joined Chelsea from Lyon back in 2005, becoming one of former manager Jose Mourinho’s most important signings in his first stint as Blues boss.
Essien went on to have a glittering and memorable nine-year spell, winning the title on two occasions with Chelsea, as well as four FA Cups and one Champions League, before he eventually moved on to Real Madrid, AC Milan and more recently Panathinaikos.