JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) " Former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Michael Essien has joined Indonesia's Persib Bandung. The ex-Ghana international, 34, has been without a club for six months after leaving Panathinaikos of Greece in 2016 and has been training with Chelsea's reserve team. Essien, who turned down a move to Australia's Melbourne Victory last September, spent eight seasons at Chelsea, winning two English Premier League and one UEFA Champions League titles. Indonesian media reported Tuesday that Essien has signed a one-year deal at the start of the new league season with an option to extend for one more. More recently, former England international Lee Hendrie spent around eight months in 2011 with the now-defunct Bandung FC.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 14, 2017 06:45 UTC