Michael Essien joins FC Nordsjaelland coaching staff

Former Ghana international Michael Essien has joined Danish club FC Nordsjaelland as part of their coaching staff, the club announced on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old who had stints with Lyon, Real Madrid and Chelsea FC has been named as part of the Danish club's coaching staff for the 2020-2021 season.

A club statement read: 37-year-old Michael Essien visited FC Nordsjælland a couple of weeks ago for a week as inspiration for his ongoing coaching education. 

Here he got the opportunity to be part of the work around the Superliga team and several of the club's academy teams, just as he got a better knowledge of the teaching and development of young people off the field in FCN. 

Now Essien will contribute himself, as he has agreed to become part of the club's coaching team under Head Coach Flemming Pedersen in the coming season with the title Player Coach. 

Essien will thus be part of the coaching team in an assistant role at the same time as he can and will participate in the training sessions to implement the exercises in the best possible way and be able to contribute new input to the coaching team's evaluations. He will have his first working day in Farum on 10 September.

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Essien who represented his nation 58 times notching nine goals and featuring at two FIFA World Cups becomes the third Ghanaian to land a technical role position at the Danish club after Mas-ud Didi Dramani and Laryea Kingston.

FC Nordsjaelland sporting director Jan Laursen explained their reasons for the appointment of the Ghana legend.

“Michael left a very positive impression here during his visit and we continued the dialogue with him after he had left.” Jan Laursen told the club’s official website.

“We felt, he was excited by what he experienced here through our philosophy, the people he met at the club, and that our environment inspired him.”

“At the same time, Michael’s visit gave us a clear impression of how much a coaching staff member on the pitch, as an active part of the training with the players, can contribute and add.”

“That part we are really looking forward to further developing, and we are very happy that it can happen through and with such a football- and human capacity as Michael Essien is.”