is a Ghanaian football coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach at Danish Superliga club Nordsjælland. During his prime he was regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world.

A midfielder, Essien started his career playing for Liberty Professionals in Ghana. In 2000, he moved to France to join Bastia, where he would spend three seasons and appear in over 60 matches before joining Ligue 1 title holders Lyon in 2003. At Lyon, Essien won back-to-back league titles in 2003–04 and 2004–05, and won Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2005. The same year, Essien signed with Premier League side Chelsea for a £24.4 million transfer fee. The fee made him the most expensive African footballer at that time. At Chelsea, Essien helped the club win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as three FA Cups and one League Cup. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2011–12, while also placing as runner-up in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. He has won the Chelsea Goal of the Season award twice, in the 2006–07 and 2008–09 seasons.

He also played for the Ghana national team, earning more than 50 caps. He contributed to Ghana's third-place finish at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship and their runner-up position at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. Essien made his senior team debut in January 2002 and has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Essien also represented Ghana at the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.