Former Burnley chairman reveals club missed out on Michael Essien in 1999 due to wage issues

Former Burnley Chairman Brendan Flood has disclosed that the club missed out on signing a young Michael Essien in 1999 due to wage issues.

In 1999, Essien had shone for Ghana's youth team at the U17 World Cup, where they were narrowly eliminated by Brazil on penalties in the semi-finals. He later impressed during a trial with Burnley, who were in the third tier of English football at the time.

However, a peculiar club rule prevented the Clarets from securing his signature.

Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Flood shared in a 2009 interview with The People: "I discovered Michael Essien had been on trial here for a few days. One of the best players in the World Cup – and we hadn’t signed him. The club policy meant we wouldn’t pay an apprentice more than 60 quid a week. It smacked me in the face that the problem was a lack of communication within the club that stopped our youth guys from making an exception to the rule."

Essien went on to have a stellar career, becoming one of the most renowned midfielders in the world.