Mancienne says "auf wiedersehen" to Chelsea

Chelsea's Michael Mancienne is on his way to Germany after Chelsea and Hamburg agreed a deal to take the 23-year-old to the Imtech Arena.

This is a significant transfer not just for the two clubs involved but for English football, as there are currently no internationals - apart from David Beckham - playing their club football for teams outside England.

Mancienne joined Chelsea as an eight-year-old and rose through the ranks, representing England at junior level all the way up to the under-21's, where he was captain. He earned a call-up to the full squad in 2008 for the game against Germany.

This move comes after the defender just finished the season on loan at Wolves, where he helped Mick McCarthy's men successfully avoid relegation on the final day.

As a Chelsea fan, it's sad to see a young talent leave but I like the fact a young English player has moved to Germany. It shows that Mancienne's not afraid to take on a new challenge and he's ambitious.

So, good luck in Germany Michael and thank you for your services whilst at Chelsea.