Players That Do Not Recieve Enough Recognition Part 1: Michael Essien

There are certain players within the EPL who do not receive enough recognition, don't get enough time in the limelight, or are just plain underrated. Some players graft and fight to keep the defense together, some are assist leaders who are outshone by the goal scorers, and some are the invisible backbone.

To me, one of the players that fall under those headings is Michael Essien.

Essien has been one of the best players to enter the league in years. He has it all. He's powerful, his passing is simple and constructive, and he has stamina to burn. He will take part in the attack, defense, and will rough up that skillful midfielder who has annoyed your defense all day.

Bought by Jose Mourinho in the same summer as Sean Wright-Phillips, Del Horno, and Lassana Diarra, many were waiting for him to live up to his £24 million price tag that took him from Lyon to the Blues.

Admittedly, it was a turbulent start. Many said he was overpriced and average. He put in some nasty tackles, which to the surprise of many fans, didn't earn him a red card.

But two seasons on (and a small bit of discipline), and Essien has transformed into one of the most complete midfielders in the world. At only 25 years of age, one would have to rank him in the top five midfielders in the EPL.

Gerrard Houllier describes him on the same level as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Patrick Viera. In 2006, he helped take Ghana to the last 16 of the World Cup, and just one year later he was named Chelsea's player of the year. 

Yet when you buy the paper in the morning, he's never splashed all over the sports section, is he? You'll find David Bentley, Steven Gerrard, or Wayne Rooney. No Essien. Yet in my opinion, and the opinions of many others, he is the heart of Chelsea.

You forget that when Lampard scores a cracker from 25 yards, that it's Essien that won the ball with a perfectly timed tackle outside his own box and passed it off to Lamps.

He does the dirty work, the tough stuff, the nitty gritty. Ask him to play right-back? He'll play there as if he has his whole life, and probably still get his regular eight-out-of-ten rating that he receives weekly in the midfield.

I’m not saying that every Chelsea or football fan lets him go unnoticed, but compared to the praise of his teammates, he's never in the center of the limelight.

Believe me, I keep a close eye on Essien every time he plays, because before he joined Chelsea, he was close to joining Manchester United. Of all of the signings that United missed out on to Chelsea (Duff, Robben, Ballack), Essien definitely hurt the most. He would have perfectly filled the gaping hole Roy Keane left in his departure.

So, ladies and gentlemen, what i'm trying to say, is that next time Drogba or Lampard score on the break, just remember who created that break. Because he really is one of the best players around.

Michael Essien Statistics 07/08

Goals: 6

Assists: 3

Clean Sheets: 12

Red Cards: 1

Yellow Cards: 5

Fouls Conceded: 20

Fouls Won: 38

Tackles Lost: 8

Tackles Won: 31

Attacks Created: 13

Appearances: 24