Sport Extra: Drogba delight at Essien arrival

MONTPELLIER – Ivory Coast international striker Didier Drogba insisted yesterday that Premiership champions Chelsea would reap the benefits of signing Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien.

Chelsea on Monday agreed to pay a club record 38 million euros for the 22-year-old Lyon midfielder –more than the previous record 24 million pounds they spent on Marseille’s Drogba. “I get on well with Michael, and spoke to him regularly on the phone recently,” said Drogba ahead of tonight’s international friendly between France and the Ivory Coast.”He really wanted to come and he’ll be a bonus in the team because he’s one of the top midfielders in the world.Chelsea made no mistake in their recruitment choice,” added Drogba.Essien is set to sign a five-year deal with the English champions after undergoing a medical at Stamford Bridge yesterday.No limits for England, Vaughan MANCHESTER – England captain Michael Vaughan insisted his side could “go as far as it wants to ” after seeing them come agonisingly close to taking a 2-1 Ashes series lead.Only a tenth-wicket stand lasting four overs between Australia’s Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath denied England victory at Old Trafford on Monday’s final day of the third Test.Australia, chasing what would have been a world record 423, finished on 371 for nine after captain Ricky Ponting kept England at bay with a superb seven-hour 156, the tourists’ skipper scoring his team’s first century of the series.Fredericks gets IAAF Fair Play award WINDHOEK – Retired Namibian sprint king Frank Fredericks and Germany’s Heike Drechsler were awarded the IAAF International Fair Play Award in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday.The awards were handed over by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack and Jeno Kamuti, who is the International Fair Play Committee President, at the conclusion of the 10th World Athletics Championships on Sunday.Both Fredericks and Dreschler have since retired from athletics.-Reports by Nampa and Reuters”I get on well with Michael, and spoke to him regularly on the phone recently,” said Drogba ahead of tonight’s international friendly between France and the Ivory Coast.”He really wanted to come and he’ll be a bonus in the team because he’s one of the top midfielders in the world.Chelsea made no mistake in their recruitment choice,” added Drogba.Essien is set to sign a five-year deal with the English champions after undergoing a medical at Stamford Bridge yesterday.No limits for England, Vaughan MANCHESTER – England captain Michael Vaughan insisted his side could “go as far as it wants to ” after seeing them come agonisingly close to taking a 2-1 Ashes series lead.Only a tenth-wicket stand lasting four overs between Australia’s Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath denied England victory at Old Trafford on Monday’s final day of the third Test.Australia, chasing what would have been a world record 423, finished on 371 for nine after captain Ricky Ponting kept England at bay with a superb seven-hour 156, the tourists’ skipper scoring his team’s first century of the series.Fredericks gets IAAF Fair Play award WINDHOEK – Retired Namibian sprint king Frank Fredericks and Germany’s Heike Drechsler were awarded the IAAF International Fair Play Award in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday.The awards were handed over by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack and Jeno Kamuti, who is the International Fair Play Committee President, at the conclusion of the 10th World Athletics Championships on Sunday.Both Fredericks and Dreschler have since retired from athletics.-Reports by Nampa and Reuters