Failed promises - Michael Essien on why he left Panathinaikos in 2016

Former Chelsea star, Michael Essien has opened up on why he decided to end his stay in Greece in 2016 when he was playing for top club Panathinaikos.

The Black Stars midfield legend signed for the Greek giants in 2015 after leaving Italian Serie A side AC Milan.

After a short stay, Michael Essien left the club and went on to sign for Indonesian side Persib Bandung.

Speaking in an interview, the former Chelsea man said he left Panathinaikos because although the club promised him so much, it could not fulfill the promises, and that caused a lot of problems.

“To be honest, I left Panathinaikos (Greek League) because there were a lot of problems. They promised a lot without doing anything.

“They don't solve the problem either. When I left I went back to London and thought about quitting football," Michael Essien told TvOne in an interview.

After hanging his boots as a professional footballer, the Ghanaian has become a coach and is currently working as an assistant for Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjaelland.