Wolves captain Karl Henry has spoken of the midfielders he rates highly in the Premier League.
Henry admits Chelsea ace Michael Essien convinced him he needed to hit the weights to compete with the best.
"People like Michael Essien have my respect," Henry told the Daily Mail. "I don't think I have come up against a player who was as physically strong as him.
"He certainly made me realise that I need to go into the gym and get on the weights. He was strong, good on the ball and capable of putting his foot in.
"'Javier Mascherano's tenacity impressed me. He's a really good player. He went in to win tackles. He's better on the ball than people give him credit for. I spoke to a few of our Irish lads who had played in a friendly against Argentina and they were saying exactly the same.
"Personally, I like Steve Sidwell, too. When I've played against him I've always had tough games. He's my type of player. Closes people down well, gets about, passes well. Scott Parker i s another and he likes to get forward as well. Now we are on the subject, Johnny Heitinga at Everton. He will mix it up, too.
"Steven Gerrard is a great player but he works in a different way. He was putting his foot in against us because it was getting a bit tetchy but he works differently. He is a good, clean tackler."
