MICHAEL ESSIEN - GHANA

Date of birth: Dec. 8, 1982
Birthplace: Accra, Ghana
Club: Chelsea (England)
Position: Midfielder
International debut: January 2000 vs. Morocco

Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o is the reigning three-time African player of the year, but Ghana's Michael Essien holds the distinction of being the most expensive African player in the world.

London's Chelsea spent a club record $49.4 million in purchasing Essien from French club Olympique Lyon prior to the 2005-06 Premiership season — a wise investment considering the 23-year-old draws comparisons to France's Patrick Vieira for the way he breaks up offensive flurries by the opposing teams and guides his team forward in attack.

One of soccer's brightest young stars, Essien is renowned for his athleticism, sublime passing skills and ability to dictate the pace of the game with solid two-way play. As the fulcrum of the midfield, he bears the responsibility for leading his country into battle in Germany as Ghana makes its World Cup debut.

Essien began his career in his native Ghana, and first made a name for himself when he helped Ghana finish third at the under-17 World Cup in 1999. Essien's performance in the tournament alerted European scouts to his considerable talent.

He ended up signing with Bastia of the French first division but had trouble settling down as he was played in a variety of positions. Finally, due to the injury of a teammate, Essien was given a chance to start as a central midfielder, a position he has thrived in ever since.

His fine performances for Bastia earned him a callup for Ghana's team at the 2001 under-20 World Cup. After impressing at the tournament, he graduated to Ghana's senior team in time for the 2002 African Nations Cup.

He scored six goals for Bastia in 2002-03 but left after three seasons, joining French league champions Olympique Lyon in 2004. Essien solidified his reputation as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world with Lyon, helping the club win back-to-back league titles.

Soon, top teams from around Europe — Juventus, Real Madrid, Manchester United to name a few — began lining up to try and buy out Essien's contract. Lyon was not eager to sell, but Essien went on strike, and decided he would not play until the French club allowed him to leave.

Eventually, Chelsea stepped up and met Lyon's transfer fee demands last August to bring the talented African to the English Premiership.

The London club was packed with world-class superstars, but Essien quickly earned a starting spot on the team and helped Chelsea win a second consecutive league title. He has drawn criticism for his reckless play in the English press, though — and his tough tackling style has won him few friends on the field.

Still only in his early 20s, Essien is expected to serve as the linchpin of the Chelsea midfield for years to come, a task he lived up to in his first season in England.

He also emerged as the key figure for his country in the 2006 qualifying round to help Ghana make it to the World Cup for the first time in its history.