Michael Essien, a legend in Ghana, has admitted that he is the only one of his retired teammates who is still eligible to play professional football.
After his breakthrough year with Lyon, when he won two Ligue 1 championships, Essien went on to have a career rich with trophies that lasted more than 15 years.
He set a new record for Chelsea when the club paid £24.4 million to acquire him from Lyon in 2005.
He spent almost a decade at Stamford Bridge, helping the Blues to win multiple Premier League and FA Cup titles, as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
The 40-year-old also had stints with Real Madrid and AC Milan before calling time on his career after a brief spell with Azerbaijani side Sabail FK.
Essien has since taken to management and is currently serving as a first-team assistant coach at Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.
The Ghanaian is one of many legends working with FIFA in various capacities at the ongoing Qatar 2022 World Cup.
In a Q&A session with the world’s football governing body, Essien said Emiliano Martinez was the best goalkeeper at the tournament.
Additionally, he selected England's Jude Bellingham as the greatest midfielder of the World Cup and France's Raphael Varane as the finest defender.
When asked to name any former athlete who might still be a professional, a joyful Essien laughed and backed himself up.
Former Chelsea and Real Madrid player remarked, "With the guys I'm seeing now, I think I'm the only one who can still play."
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