#2 Michael Essien (FIFA 06 Rating: 91, FIFA 17 Rating: 74)
Before N’Golo Kante showed the world how a central midfielder should play, Michael Essien was doing it back in the mid-2000s. After helping his club Lyon win back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, he moved to Chelsea in 2005. His performances saw him earn a rating of 91 in FIFA 06.
The Ghanaian midfielder was known for his boisterous energy and hard tackling style. He enjoyed a very successful stint at Chelsea in which he won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once.
After leaving the Stamford Bridge outfit, Essien spent a couple of seasons at AC Milan before joining Greek side Panathinaikos on a two-year deal in 2015. However, injuries marred his stint in Greece and the club left him out of the squad for this season. However, the 34-year-old is still listed as a Panathinaikos player in FIFA 17 and has an overall rating of 74.
