Essien rejects ‘dirty’ label

CHELSEA midfielder Michael Essien has defended his reputation after a string of controversial challenges by insisting: “I’m not a dirty player.”

Essien, who signed from Lyon this summer for £24.4, compared himself to combative former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira in claiming he needed time to adapt to English football.

Despite widespread criticism of challenges on Bolton’s Tal Ben Haim, Liverpool’s Dietmar Hamann and Arsenal’s Lauren, he insisted he had never deliberately set out to hurt an opponent.