Former Ghana midfielder Michael Essien says the opportunity to hoist the flag of Ghana in the Premier League was 'great.'

Essien played for Chelsea between 2005 and 2014 after joining the club from French side Olympique Lyon.

According to him, the decision to play in the English top flight was a dream come true after former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic splashed £24.4 million to sign him.

"My dream was to play in the Premier League and when the opportunity came I jumped on it and it was great to represent Ghana in the Premier League," Essien said in an interview with Sky Sports.

"It was very physical at the time and that was part of my football. It was not difficult for me to adapt and I showed that.."

The Ghanaian went on to win major honours with the Blues including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups as well as the UEFA Champions League.