Born in Accra, Ghana, Desailly's family moved to France and he began his career in Nantes. In 1992, he moved to Marseille, and won the European Cup with Olympique de Marseille the following year. In 1994, while a member of AC Milan, he again won the Cup, being the first player to win the Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs. Although he prefers to be a defender he also played midfield for some time.