When transfer speculation grew up around Michael early in the summer of 2008, his representatives reacted with speed, declaring publicly the player's happiness and certainty to stay. Action followed words with the signing a new five-year contract during the pre-season tour, committing Michael to Chelsea until 2013.

And so the story at Chelsea continues into a fourth season for the man voted 2007 Player of the Year by supporters. Unfortunately his playing contribution is on-hold following a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in September on international duty. Recovery will take several months.

The award recognised not just Michael's trademark steam train performances in midfield but also his ability to provide solutions to a multitude of problems elsewhere on the pitch.

Michael followed up an outstanding performance in central defence during a clean sheet 2007 FA Cup Final display with his selection at right-back in the Champions League Final a year later, selected ahead of two specialists in the position.

The occasion in Moscow completed a season when Michael was again in the top four appearance makers although with 15 less starts than the season before. Included last season was his 100th Chelsea game.

That was partly due to an African Cup of Nations campaign in which he was outstanding as host nation Ghana reached the semi-finals. He was voted into the team of the tournament.

In common with other African participants, his form was briefly affected on his return, not helped by a touch of illness, but the season finished strongly with regular games and three goals.

In midfield he was more likely to be found as a forward runner ahead of Claude Makelele or John Mikel Obi than the anchor role he has also played - and it was so deployed that he enjoyed one of his standout games - the 6-0 thrashing of Manchester City when scoring one and creating two.

Memorable goals are part of the Essien repertoire. His equaliser against Arsenal in December 2006 was voted that campaign's Chelsea Goal of the Season and was nearly matched a charge forward and angled drive in Valencia that sent the Blues into the 2007 Champions League semi-final.

It was in that competition for French club Lyon that Michael had caught the eye of many in England. A protracted transfer, that dragged on almost as long as the 2005 close season, finally came to an end when his former club accepted a then Chelsea record fee for their star midfielder.

The young player had grown to become one of hottest properties in Europe in his two years playing in France's second city, with dominant performances as the team won back-to-back league titles and twice reached the Champions League quarter-finals (losing to José Mourinho's Porto on the first occasion).

A powerhouse player who finds no difficulty in getting around the pitch, he earned the nickname 'The Bison'. Mourinho used the word 'multifunctional' and the reported £24.4 million price tag reflected this versatility. He is the most expensive African footballer in the world.

Michael grew up Accra, capital of his homeland Ghana, and the city that also gave the world Marcel Desailly.

Unlike the former Chelsea captain, Michael remained in Africa into adulthood, playing for his country at junior levels and beginning his club football at Liberty Professionals.

His profile was raised by a third-place finish for Ghana in the Under 17s World Cup which led to a trial at Man United. But it was to Corsica he went, signing to play in the French league with Bastia.

At first he was used to fill a variety of positions across the defence but could not hold down a regular place. Then injury left a vacancy in midfield and Michael never looked back.

Bastia reached the French Cup Final in 2002 and the following summer he made the move to league champions Lyon for 7.8 million euros.

He was voted Player of the Year in France while at the club and shone as Lyon became one the Champions League's most feared teams, but he made no secret of his desire to move to the Premier League.

Michael's Chelsea debut came as a sub against Arsenal in August 2005, the start of an understated first season in London.

An impressive World Cup in Germany followed, where he was Ghana's best player and unfortunate to be suspended for the defeat by Brazil.