Essien: I had planned to retire at AC Milan

Michael Essien says it was easy for him to accept a move to AC Milan because he had planned to retire at San Siro.

The 31-year-old was officially unveiled at a press conference on Monday afternoon in Milan.

Essien has signed an 18-month contract on a free transfer after his release by English Premier League side Chelsea.

“I told friends that before retiring that I wanted to play for this club and achieve my dream,” Essien said.

“It was easy to make a decision after speaking to Clarence. I had a lot of offers but Clarence made it an easy choice for me.

“I’ve known Seedorf a long time, I asked him to a charity match in Ghana many times. Jose Mourinho said it would be a great experience and I would settle well in Italy.”

Essien scored 17 goals in his 168 Premier League appearances for Chelsea from 2005-14 and left the club just once on loan to Real Madrid during the 2012-13 season.