Michael Essien has ended his career in the top leagues

Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has ended his career in the top leagues after securing a move to Panathinaikos in the Greek league.

The 32-year-old has been plagued by injury problems for the last couple of years. It has robbed him of the quality, which many have come to see during his time at Chelsea. His initial few years at the West London club gave the world a taste of his best football. He remains as one of the few Ghanaian footballers to have won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.

A moved to AC Milan – initially on a loan deal – appeared to have him resurrect his career that had grown to a standstill since 2008. It was the first time Essien suffered a major knee injury, but it appears that he has not recovered from it just yet. Essien spent the last two seasons at Milan, but he made only a grand total of 22 appearances in all competitions. He was apparently keen on making up for the lost time in football and only a move to a club where he gets regular football seemed obvious.Panathinaikos appeared to have promised him exactly that. Even though Greece is unstable politically and financially, Essien has decided to take the plunge.

“I am very happy that I am here and that I will continue my career in Panathinaikos. I am looking forward to meet my new team and win trophies with my new team-mates. I want to give back the love that everyone has shown me and to thank the fans that welcomed me so warmly,” said the player, who has signed a two-year contract. The club finished as the runners up in the Greek super league and will be hoping for a title backed by the presence of Essien.