What if we told you that Michael Essien could have been a Burnley player if the club had been willing to pay him £60 a week?
Not £60,000. Just £60. That’s not a typo.
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Essien will be remembered for his glorious career at Chelsea, which made him one of the greatest midfielders of his time.
The Ghanaian superstar won two Premier League titles, one Champions League title, four FA Cups and one League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
When he left the club in 2014, the £24.4 million he was paid to sign from Lyon in 2005 was considered a bargain.
But Burnley had turned down the chance to sign him for free six years earlier.
In 1999, Essien had just emerged as a star of the Ghana youth team at the U17 World Cup, where the team was eliminated in the semi-finals on penalties by Brazil.
He impressed in a friendly with the Clarets, who were playing in the English third division this summer, but a bizarre club rule prevented them from signing him.
In 2009, former Burnley chairman Brendan Flood told The People newspaper: “I found out that Michael Essien has been on trial here for a number of days.
“One of the best players in the World Cup – and we hadn’t signed him yet.
“The club’s policy was that we would not pay an apprentice more than £60 a week.
“I realized that the problem was the lack of communication within the club, which prevented our young players from making an exception to the rule.”
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Instead, Essien moved to French club Bastia and then to Lyon, where he rose to fame.
By 2005, the midfielder had already won two Ligue 1 titles and been named Player of the Year in the French top division when he moved to Chelsea – a record transfer for the club at the time.
The following season, 23-year-old Essien won the club’s Player of the Season award, beating the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
After all, he was earning around £100,000 a week at Chelsea, just £96,940 more than Burnley was willing to pay.
Today Essien is part of the coaching staff of the Danish club Nordsjaelland.
The Pitch Prospect met the now 41-year-old at his recent appearance at Soccer Aid.
Chelsea are barely recognizable compared to the legendary team Essien played for, finishing 12th and 6th in the last two seasons.
Despite signs of life at the end of last season, coach Mauricio Pochettino was sacked and replaced by Enzo Maresca.
The former Leicester boss is now faced with the task of meeting the demands of Essien and Co. with a squad worth billions.
However, Essien insists that the new head coach must be given time to get the best out of his young team and restore the Blues to their former glory.
“Chelsea is a tough place, not just for players but also for coaches,” Essien told The Pitch Prospect.
“I think the team gelled well together towards the end of last season and played good football.
“It’s unfortunate that they got rid of Pochettino, but I think their new boss will take them where they want to be.”
He added: “I was there for nine years and had eight managers. So you see, it’s a tough place.”
“Our times were different, we had great success, this is a new generation and you have to give them the chance to get to where the club deserves.”
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