Former Ghana international Michael Essien has opened up about his decision to join Danish club FC Nordsjælland after retiring from professional football.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid star has been serving as one of the club’s assistant coaches for the past few years.
In an interview, Essien shared the reason behind his move to Nordsjælland, saying, “I’ve known the founder, Tom Vernon, for a very long time, since I was 17 or 18. I always kept in contact with him, and he followed my football career closely. When I retired, he reached out and asked, ‘What are you doing?'”
Essien continued, “I told him I thought I was done playing, and he said, ‘Maybe you should come and look around the place.’ He told me about the project at Nordsjælland, and when I visited, I was impressed by the environment. It felt like a great fit, so I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to work here.'”
He praised the club’s focus on youth development, saying, “I love how they develop young players here, giving them the opportunity to experience professional football. That was a key reason for me joining. It’s a calm environment, very healthy, and everyone is always ready to help.”
In his conversation with the BBC, Essien also mentioned the challenges of coaching the current generation of players, saying, “This generation can be quite difficult,” but expressed confidence in the project at Nordsjælland and his role in nurturing the club’s young talents.
