Former Ghanaian international Michael Essien has revealed that people questioned his record transfer fee from Olympique Lyon to Chelsea.

Essien joined the Blues for £24.4 million, making him the most expensive Chelsea player in the 2005 transfer window.

Although joining Chelsea was a dream come true for Essien, many expressed dissatisfaction with the club spending such a huge amount on him.

Nineteen years after his move to Stamford Bridge, Essien stated that he was determined to prove his critics wrong by working hard under Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho.

"My dream was to play in the Premier League, and when the opportunity came, I jumped on it. It was great to represent Ghana in the Premier League," Essien said.

"It was a big transfer move at the time. Those who didn't know me questioned whether I was worth the money. But it was up to me to show it. Mourinho gave me all the confidence. It was very physical at that time, and that was my focus. It was very hard to adapt, but I showed that, and quickly the fans fell in love with me, and the rest is history."

Essien enjoyed a successful spell at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the League Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.


JNA/EK