Liam Rosenior has some extremely talented midfielders in his Chelsea squad right now.
Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are the first two names that come to mind, with the latter scoring in Chelsea’s 3-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Although he cannot stay fit at the minute, Romeo Lavia is also a very gifted midfielder.
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In the past, Chelsea have been blessed with the likes of Frank Lampard and Michael Essien as well.
Michael Essien of Chelsea celebrates
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Chelsea allowed Michael Essien to join AC Milan for free on 27 January 2014
Essien had a very successful career at Stamford Bridge, but it came to an end exactly 12 years ago.
After barely featuring under Jose Mourinho in the 2013/14 season, Essien was allowed to join AC Milan on a free transfer.
Essien signed for the Italian club on 27 January 2014 on an 18-month deal, but the retired midfielder failed to make the kind of impact he made at Chelsea.
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Liam Rosenior at Fulham v Chelsea.
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In total, Essien made just 22 appearances before leaving Milan for Greek side Panathinaikos. He failed to score a single goal during his time at the San Siro.
At Chelsea, John Obi Mikel felt that Essien did not get the credit he deserved, and it is not hard to see where his former teammate is coming from. The Ghanaian probably did go under the radar quite often.
Chelsea players celebrate 2009 FA Cup final win
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Michael Essien’s record at Chelsea
In total, Essien made 256 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 25 goals across those matches.
It is not an outstanding return, but the above includes his unforgettable strike against Arsenal and sensational volley against Barcelona.
That volley, of course, almost sent Chelsea to the 2009 Champions League final, only for it to be cancelled out by Andres Iniesta’s last-minute away goal.
While Essien was not a goalscorer for Chelsea, he brought power and energy to the Blues’ midfield, helping them to win two Premier League titles and eventually the Champions League trophy in 2012. There is no doubt that he is one of the club’s greatest ever midfielders.
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