Michael Essien: ‘I’m not thinking about being a head coach. Not yet’

Football superstar Michael Essien has emphasised he has no intentions to manage a club, even though he has coaching badges.

The Ghanaian international retired from professional football in 2018.

A year after Right to Dream bought FC Nordsjaelland (FCN) in 2019 to nurture talents for European football, Essien joined the top-tier Danish club as an assistant coach and individual talent coach.



He revealed how he landed the gig, speaking to BBC Sport.

“I’ve known the founder, Tom Vernon, for a very long time, since I was 17 or 18,” Essien explained.

“I always kept in contact with him and he followed my football career. When I stopped playing, he just messaged me and said, ‘What are you doing?’

“I said, ‘I think I’m done playing.’ And he said, ‘OK, maybe you should come and look around the place.’ He told me about the whole project. I came and it was a nice environment. So I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love work here.’

“I love how they develop their boys here, giving very young boys the opportunity to experience professional football.

“That was one of the reasons I chose to be here. It’s calmer; the environment is very nice and very healthy. Everyone is ready to help whenever you need.”

He spoke about his observations as a coach considering his time under various famed coaches during his 20-year career.

“I started coaching so I could learn how it is to be a coach. Now I talk to a few of [my former managers]. Just normal talk – nothing tactical,” the 41-year-old said.

“I had some great, great managers that I was lucky to work under. I learned a few things from Jose, and from Ancelotti – his calmness and how he manages his players, the way he tried to put his arms around his players.

“Now I understand a bit more why Jose would get angry.”

Notwithstanding the aforementioned and his rich experience in the game, Essien said he was not venturing the head coach position anytime soon.

“I’m not thinking about being a head coach. Not yet,” he noted.

“But when I get there, I will develop my style of play around the FCN model of what we’re doing here. I have a few more years to go. Let’s see. Maybe I will get there.

“When I was playing, I never thought I would jump into this journey. But coming to the end of my career, I was thinking one day, ‘I’ve done football my whole life and I think that’s what I do best. I should start doing something just to keep my routine going.’

“I also wanted to get the ideas and strategies of how to be a coach, to learn how to be a coach. That’s how it all came about.

“And also because I love the game. I’m always going to be in and around the game.



“I try and do my best to help the young boys coming up so they can do something with their careers.

Essien also revealed, “I’ve just finished one football management course. It’s given me some ideas on how football clubs are run, the organisation and everything.

“I’m just collecting some knowledge about the game because football goes beyond the pitch.”

Source: classfmonline.com