‘Now I understand why Jose got angry’ – Essien on life as a coach

During a distinguished 20-year playing career that included spells with Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan, Michael Essien played under some of the best managers in the game.

But it wasn’t a desire to follow in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti or Guus Hiddink that motivated one of the finest midfielders of his generation to try his hand at coaching.

“I just woke up one day and thought, ‘Let me start doing something,'” Essien tells BBC Sport.

“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.

“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.”

Since 2020 Essien has been working as an assistant coach for Danish top-flight side FC Nordsjaelland (FCN).

That might seem a curious choice of club for a player as well known as Essien to begin his coaching career. But Nordsjaelland’s background drew the former Ghana international to the team based in Farum, a small town in the east of Denmark.

In a reversal of the usual dynamic, Nordsjaelland are a professional club owned and operated by a youth academy.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Right to Dream academy was founded in Ghana in 1999 by Tom Vernon, a former Manchester United scout.

With a holistic approach to developing its youngsters on and off the pitch, the academy has produced several top players while also providing a route to further education for its students.

West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, Southampton’s Kamaldeen Sulemana and Brentford’s Mikkel Damsgaard are among Right to Dream’s most notable graduates.

In 2019 Right to Dream purchased Nordsjaelland to provide a pathway to European football for its best hopefuls. And next year its new American venture, San Diego FC, will join MLS as an expansion club.

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