Ghanaian football star Michael Essien, fresh from his heroics in Sudan, has launched a legal claim over alleged libel in England to clear his name.

The 26-year-old is suing the Mirror Group Newspapers - which publishes five national newspapers, over 140 regional newspapers and more than 400 websites - over an article that appeared in the People.

He claims that the story, which was entitled "Chelsea Cheat Michael Essien: I'll Stand by my Love Child", was defamatory.

In addition, he is taking action against another story which was headed "Sex cheat Essien gets boot".

The Ghanaian defensive midfielder is seeking an injunction banning repetition of the allegations at the centre of the case.

He is also said to be looking for damages of up to £100,000.

His legal case has been assigned to procedural judge Master Leslie, who is to hear the initial stages of his claim and will decide how the legal action should proceed.

Essien has taken a battering from the English press but its seems the Ghanaian wants to take an action on the flurry of damaging articles appearing in the British tabloids.

Meanwhile, another English tabloid 'The Lite' has issued a grovelling apology to the Ghana star over an article it published last month claiming that Essien bought a watch for £80,000.

The paper reported that Essien bought the watch at a night club from a famous designer with a picture of his face encrusted in diamonds in the watch.

But the paper has performed a U-turn admitting that the report is false after Essien confronted the newspaper with the evidence.

The Lite was forced to apologise to the Ghana saying that he was not even at that night club on the said day.

"We wish to correct an earlier article that Essien bought a watch for £80,000. Essien has approached us to say he was not even at the night club and did not buy the watch," the Lite statement read.

The midfielder was part of the Ghana team that beat Sudan in the World Cup qualifiers in Omdurman on Saturday.