subject: Essien donates to community,return to Stars uncertain [print this page] Essien donates to community,return to Stars uncertain
In sharp contrast to public perception that Michael Essien would return to the Black Stars in March next year, the Chelsea talismanic midfielder has said he had not set a definite date for his return.
From the horse's own mouth, Essien noted during his program, "A with Michael Essien," that a definite date for his return had not yet been set as was being speculated.
Responding to whether he would return to the senior national soccer side, he answered in the affirmative.
"I will definitely return to the team, but I have not fixed a date. I will return when I am ready, but cannot promise for now," said Essien.
Essien announced that he wanted to concentrate on club assignments on his return from an injury which nearly blighted his career, which he sustained during the Angola 2010 Nations Cup.
He left the country last Tuesday night, after an impressive commissioning of two projects in his hometown, Awutu Breku, on Tuesday.
Like the Biblical Messiah's triumphant entry to Jerusalem, so was Michael Essien's "second coming" to his land of birth, Awutu Breku, a village about an hour's drive from Accra, last Tuesday.
Lovers of the iconic midfielder lined up along the street from the Awutu Breku junction to the park in the township to catch a glimpse of him, when the Chelsea star, in the company of a powerful entourage, led by a police escort, hit the junction.
The crowd multiplied when he (Essien) in a red Lacoste interlock, with "A day with Michael Essien" inscription, and designer sunglasses to match, hit the playing grounds. Children, the youth and the elderly had come to the playing grounds to fraternize with their son'.
A few minutes to the commissioning of the borehole, Essien's team mate, Sulley Muntari, emerged in his military' jeep, and helped Essien with the exercise. Thereafter Essien joined his pal in his jeep to the playing grounds, and stayed till the end.
Beginning his address in the Awutu lingua franca generated intense screams from the crowd. And after identifying himself to the citizens of the land, he said it had been his dream and inspiration to come back home to support the community.
The program, "A day with Michael Essien" forms part of activities lined up by the Michael Essien Foundation (MEF) to commission a borehole and a ten-seater water closet toilet facility.
He revealed in an interview, that the "A day with Michael Essien" program would be annualised.
And according to the Chairman of the MEF, Mr. Mike Gizo, the commissioning of the projects was a foretaste of the many basic social amenities the Foundation had purposed to spread around the Senya Breku communities.
The day also saw the Chelsea star, with support from his London-based club representatives, in a book launch code-named "Reading Goals," which is an initiative of the Foundation to inculcate basic reading habits in children with the introduction of kids' books, as well as a book about Essien.
The head of communications, Chelsea, Emma Wilkinson, praised Essien profusely for the work of the Foundation, saying, "Essien is a great player; his Foundation is doing well, and creating opportunities he never had in his hometown, is a clear demonstration that he has Ghana at heart."
The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Nortey Dua, commended Essien for the project.
Telecommunications company MTN threw its weight behind its icon, with a 25,000 cheque.
Essien has played for Ghana at all levels of international competition apart from the Olympics.
He played with Bastia and Lyon in France before joining Chelsea.
