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MICHAEL
ESSIEN
Voted last season's Chelsea Player of the Year by supporters, the award recognised not just Michael's trademark steam train performances in midfield but also his ability to provide solutions to a multitude of problems elsewhere in the team. That he was outstanding in central defence during a clean sheet FA Cup Final display tells the tale well.
Then there were the special goals! The thunderbolt against Arsenal, one of two equalisers against the Gunners, was voted Chelsea Goal of the Season and was there a more dramatic moment in the campaign than the charge and angled drive in Valencia that sent the Blues into the Champions League semi-final.
A powerhouse player who finds no difficulty in getting around the pitch, he earned the nickname 'The Bison'. Mourinho used the word 'multifunctional' and the reported £24.4 million price tag reflected this versatility. He is the most expensive African footballer in the world.
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