Essien back ´stronger; after injury woes

Michael Essien says his hard work to get back to fitness paid off after he made his long-awaited return to the Premier League last weekend.

The 29-year-old was named on Chelsea’s bench against Sunderland before coming on to replace match-winner Frank Lampard with 17 minutes remaining to mark his return to football following a six-month injury lay-off.

The injury, sustained in pre-season, was the third serious knee problem of Essien’s career, and the Ghanaian is glad to be putting his woes behind him.

“It’s been a long while but I’m always positive and I knew I would come back stronger,” Essien told Chelsea TV.

“That’s what I did and I was happy to be on the pitch again.”

“It’s always good to be back after such a long injury, so I’m very happy to be back.”

“We didn’t rush anything, we take every day as it comes.”

“My physios and doctors are there for me, I’ve been working hard and I think the hard work has paid off.”

His return is a welcome boost for manager Andre Villas-Boas particularly given his retirement from the Ghana national team.

Essien suffered two significant knee injuries playing for the African nation and has decided to focus on his Chelsea career.