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Ex-Ghana international Nii Odartey Lamptey has urged coach Kwesi Appiah to give Michael Essien a recall into the Black Stars � and fast! The 29-year-old is beginning to find his feet since he joined Spanish champions Real Madrid on a season-long loan from Chelsea. The former Lyon man has not played for the Black Stars since he played in a 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo in Kumasi in 2011. He was given permission to excuse himself from international duty after he suffered another setback last year which kept him out of action for six months. But after churning out decent performaces for the Los Blancos Galaticos, the ex-Ghana Under-17 star believes it�s time for him to take another shot at the international stage. �We need him (Essien) to be at the Nations Cup and there is no doubt about it,� Lamptey told Accra-based Happy FM �I have been speaking to him and I believe coach Kwesi Appiah should extend an invitation to him. �His experience and contribution to the ambitions of the team to win the cup will be immeasurable. �I thought he could have gone a step lower but since he joined Real Madrid with Jose Mourinho in the helm of affairs, then there was no problem. �He is a key figure for us and we need him fast.� The Ghana star has suffered three career threatening injuries in three years.