Fred Pappoe settles on on Michael Essien as Ghana’s greatest footballer

Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, Fred Pappoe, has picked Michael Essien as the greatest player Ghana has ever produced, praising the former midfielder’s remarkable rise and club career.

Essien, who began his professional journey at Liberty Professionals, is widely regarded as one of the finest talents to emerge from the Ghana Premier League.

He later moved to France, featuring for Brest before earning a high-profile switch to Olympique Lyon, where his performances attracted major European attention.

His breakthrough led to a big move to Chelsea, where he enjoyed the peak of his career and won several major trophies, cementing his status as one of the most influential midfielders of his generation.

Speaking in an interview with Sporty FM, Mr Pappoe said Essien stood out for his quality, progression and impact at top clubs across Europe.

"I will say Michael Essien. Looking at how he rose and the clubs he played for, they are incredible and have the impact he made," he said.

He, however, acknowledged the contributions of other Ghanaian greats, particularly Asamoah Gyan, who remains the country’s record scorer at the FIFA World Cup.

"Even though his days with the national team were up and down for me, it would be Essien.

"Asamoah Gyan was a good goalscorer in terms of the World Cup, and so in terms of goalscoring, Gyan will be my best player, but Essien remains my best player," he added.

Essien also had spells with Real Madrid and AC Milan during his later career and featured for Ghana at the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. He earned 59 caps for the Black Stars, scoring nine goals.

He is currently involved in coaching, serving as an assistant at Danish club FC Nordsjaelland.