Michael Essien reaffirms decision not take up a head coach role at the moment

Former Ghana international Michael Essien has reiterated that he has no plans to become a head coach, despite having acquired his coaching badges.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder, who retired from professional football in 2018, has been working with Nordsjaelland since 2020 as an Individual Talent Coach, where he plays a key role in nurturing the next generation of football talent.

In a previous interview, the 41-year-old explained that he finds the demands of being a head coach too stressful, which is why he has decided not to pursue that role for now.

He also expressed a preference for staying out of the spotlight, though he did not rule out a change of heart in the future.

Speaking to the BBC, Essien said, “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.”

The former Black Stars midfielder added that he never considered coaching during his playing career.

“When I was playing, I never thought I would jump into this journey,” he explained.

“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.”