Greuther Fürth midfielder Hans Nunoo Sarpei has named ex-Chelsea ace Michael Essien as one of the top three players he idolised while growing up.
Essien was an integral player at Stamford Bridge after joining from Olympique Lyonnais in 2005, making 168 appearances and scoring 17 goals for the Blues.
The 37-year-old spent nine years at the London based side before joining AC Milan in 2014, winning nine trophies in the process.
"I look up to myself because I have my own style of play and I write my own story and history but I have some players that I like the way that they play: Michael Essien, Arturo Vidal, and N’Golo Kante," he told Get German Football News.
Hans Nunoo Sarpei recently returned to action with Greuther Fürth in the German Bundesliga 2 last weekend after an enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He has made 14 appearances for his side so far this season.