Within weeks of the Ebola hoax dying down, the guys at Health Africa International approached my friends George Weah, Mahamadou Diarra, and I to be part of the initiative in using various forms of communication to promote a Ebola prevention education programme.

Michael Essien

Categorized in : Down Education Health Communication

Indonesia was good - and crazy, too! It was a great experience to play there. I enjoyed the football. It wasn't easy. It's very hot.

Michael Essien

good experience crazy football

Together with Milan and our media team, we released a statement clearly stating it was a hoax and there was no truth in the rumour that I had Ebola. And that's when the whole thing started to die down. Still, it took about two days or so for people to actually stop talking about it.

Michael Essien

die truth together people

I've been following some of the coaches, trying to get a little bit more experience, because coaching is very different from being a player.

Michael Essien

being coaching experience trying

I'm a man of few words. I don't really like talking.

Michael Essien

words like man talking

I've played at the highest level, so I'm just looking forward to enjoying the football, so anywhere there is interest, then yeah. I will consider it.

Michael Essien

looking will looking-forward football

It's a big surprise for me because if somebody asked me when I was playing if Frank Lampard would be a manager, I would say no because he's very quiet.

Michael Essien

say me surprise quiet

I'm the kind of person who likes to be lonely. I got my head down and focused on getting fit.

Michael Essien

person down focused lonely

I don't think I've still got things to show Carlo Ancelotti. He has seen me play a lot, even before he was our manager, and he knows what I can do.

Michael Essien

think me i-can play

I've always enjoyed getting forward, pushing up-field to help us in our attacks, but I think you can still do that from a central position, too. You don't have to sit deep all the time.

Michael Essien

deep think you time

Teams struggle when they come to Stamford Bridge and, if we score one or two, everything seems to open up for us. We need to work hard to get into that position in the first place, but you can see what happens once we are ahead.

Michael Essien

work-hard you struggle work

As a kid, I always wanted to play in Europe.

Michael Essien

kid always play europe

Ghanaians and English people enjoy football the same.

Michael Essien

english enjoy football people

I still feel Ghanaian, but my mentality is more European.

Michael Essien

still more feel mentality

I'm not a difficult person. I just want to enjoy my football until I hang up my boots.

Michael Essien

person enjoy want football

I always spend my summer in Ghana. I don't go anywhere else.

Michael Essien

spend go always summer

My children have to know where they come from and the way of life in Africa.

Michael Essien

know life children way

When I was little, my dream was to come and play in the Premier League. So when Chelsea came in, I said yes straight away.

Michael Essien

straight dream play said

I had an amazing time at Chelsea. I can't pinpoint to a specific event, but the best moment was the honour of signing for Chelsea because I was proud to be at such a club.

Michael Essien

best moment proud time

As a young boy, all we used to watch was the Premier League at that time. I know the FA cup is quite important. It's as important as the Premier League in England. And I had a chance to win it over our biggest rival, and it was also in the new Wembley. It was a great moment.

Michael Essien

great win moment time

I like Singapore; it is very clean. People speak English and are warm.

Michael Essien

singapore warm speak people