The midfielder said he was so determined to silence the people who questioned his huge transfer fee.
The 37-year-old made a big-money move to Stamford Bridge in 2005 to play under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho.
The Blues spent £24.4 million to price Essien away from Lyon, making him the club’s record signing at the time.
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The Ghanaian went on to enjoy massive success at Chelsea, winning multiple titles, including the Premier League and the Champions League.
Essien has now revealed that he was so eager to prove his critics wrong, especially those who were not convinced of his transfer fee.
“It was a transfer saga, but at long last I moved to Chelsea. People were not convinced as they said I am a midfielder and I didn’t deserve that huge amount but I was determined to prove them wrong and I did it,” he told Chelsea TV
“When I came to Chelsea, Mourinho sat me down and taught me about the system. I was to play in midfield alongside Makelele and Lampard. Makelele just sat in front of the back four and did all the dirty work whilst Lampard moved forward.
“I was young and full of energy that time so I was all over the pitch. After my duties in central midfield, I also joined the attack. It was a great year as we won the Premiership back to back.”
Essien currently plays for Sabail FK in the Azerbaijan Premier League.