Michael Essien Chelsea
Thomas Partey says that Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew is one of the players he looks up to for the impact he has made since moving to the Premier League. Partey joined Arsenal this summer in a deal worth £45million from Atletico Madrid, and has already made a big impact in North London. Ayew moved to the Premier League in 2015, playing for Aston Villa for two years. He then made the switch to Swansea before heading on loan to Palace for the 2018/19 season. The 29-year-old has also made 63 appearances for Ghana – where he has been an international teammate with Arsenal midfielder Partey. Partey said that his idol growing up was former Chelsea star Michael Essien, and added that Ayew and his brother Andre have also been influential on both him and Ghana.
Thomas Partey said “[Essien] is a fantastic midfielder, He fights for every ball, he’s a great legend. For me, he’s one of the best midfielders that we’ve ever had in Africa. I think we’ve all seen what he has done at Chelsea, what he has done for the Black Stars and for me, he’s my idol. I grew up watching Michael Essien, Muntari, the Ayew brothers – they are the people I look up to and they made a lot of impact on Ghanaians. I think this is my moment and I have to make sure I take it.”
