Regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, Essien, after a 20-year playing career, recently decided to transition into coaching after receiving a call from Tom Vernon, the founder of one of Ghana’s top football academies.
Since 2020, Essien has served as the assistant coach for Danish top-flight side FC Nordsjaelland (FCN) and according to the Ghanaian, he gained valuable experience from his former managers.
In an interview with the BBC, the 2012 Champions League winner shared how his coaching journey has helped him understand Jose Mourinho’s frustrations.
“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,” Essien told the BBC.
Essien, however, has no immediate plans to leave Nordsjaelland in search of managerial opportunities but is also not ruling out the possibility of becoming a head coach in the future, as football has always been a central part of his life.
“I’m not thinking about being a head coach. Not yet. 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,’” he further added.
Essien played 256 times for Chelsea, winning the FA Cup four times, the Premier League two times then the Champions League and League Cup.
