Happy Birthday, Michael Essien!

Former Ligue 1 McDonald's winner with Olympique Lyonnais, Michael Essien, celebrates his 43rd birthday today.

A successful stint in Ligue 1 McDonald's

Essien began his time in France, coming through the ranks at Bastia, and after three years at the Corsican club, he joined Lyon in a deal worth over €10m. His move to OL came despite PSG's attempts to sign the midfielder. "But my preference was always Lyon," he revealed back in 2020.

That investment certainly paid off for Les Gones. He spent just two years at the club but had a huge impact, winning the Ligue 1 McDonald's title in both of his seasons. He played 96 times for OL, 21 more than he played during his previous stint at Bastia. He scored 13 goals for Lyon, one more than he scored for his former club. He was part of a star-studded side, one of the best in recent Ligue 1 McDonald's history, that also included the likes of Juninho and Florent Malouda.

After two Ligue 1 McDonald's titles and two French Super Cup wins, he left France to join Chelsea in a €38m deal. The former Ghana international would go on to play for Real Madrid and AC Milan, most notably, before calling time on his career in 2020.

Essien, Malouda & Juninho at Lyon 🇬🇭🇫🇷🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/buzfFwDNBS
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) March 22, 2025

Despite leaving Lyon, success followed him, as he would go on to win the Champions League, two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one EFL Cup, and one Community Shield, as he became a crucial player at Stamford Bridge, notably under José Mourinho.

Essien turns his hand to management

But despite playing for several top-level clubs across the world, he has always shown his affection for OL. "[Lyon] was good for my career. They are one of the biggest clubs in France, and I remember that, when they approached me, I said yes straight away," he said back in 2018; the rest is history.

Since retiring back in 2020, having made nearly 550 appearances at club level and a further 59 for the Ghana national team, he has turned his focus to management. He earned his UEFA Pro licence at the start of this year. He is currently the assistant manager at Danish club FC Nordsjaelland.

Happy Birthday, Michael Essien!

>> Lyon celebrate 75th anniversary with convincing win over Nantes