Football legend Michael Essien has stated he never intended to become a coach after his playing career was over. Essien has been working as an assistant coach at Danish side FC Norsdjaelland since 2020.
He revealed this in an interview with British media outlet, the BBC, where the former Black Stars midfielder also spoke about his time playing under renowned head coaches like Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.
Having played for the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Olympique Lyon in his distinguished career, Essien was candid about not having ambitions to coach after his retirement from playing professional football.
“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.”
