By Patrick Akoto
Arsenal midfielder Alex Song has lauded the influence of Chelsea star Michael Essien on his career.
He cites the Ghanaian as his idol when he was learning his football trade in France with Bastia.
Song, 23, joined the Gunners in 2005 initially on loan from Bastia before Arsene Wenger swooped to sign the Cameroonian starlet for £1 million in the summer of 2006.
The tough-tackling midfielder has impressed since breaking into the first-team at the Emirates.
The Cameroon star revealed it was a certain current Chelsea star that inspired him to realise his dream of becoming a professional footballer while they were both at the French Ligue 1 club.
"I watched Michael Essien in the first team, and it made me very very happy," Song told Arsenal.com
"When he started to play it did very well. Everyone just loved him. That is when I realised, if I work hard I can be like him. I think this time I can be a good professional if I work hard."
"You need to have a strong mentality because when you start at the age of 14-years-old in Bastia it is not easy because you have all your friends just go out when you leave. You have to be focused on the academy, work hard, go to training, got to school and come back home.
"You have to strong in your head, and it was hard because all my family were in Paris. It was not easy, I just tried to do my best. But today when I see my friends we go out, and I think I did a good thing to stay in the academy. I made a lot of sacrifices but now I am very lucky man."