Daniel Andre Sturridge, who played alongside Ghana’s Michael Essien at Chelsea, has congratulated his former teammate on completing his UEFA A coaching license.
Michael Essien, the midfield dynamo, announced on his Twitter account on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, that he has officially completed a UEFA A and UEFA Elite Youth A license.
Essien joins a select group of Ghanaian footballers who have recently earned their coaching badges, including Laryea Kingston and Asamoah Gyan.
Essien has been working on his coaching credentials since leaving professional football in 2020 after a brief stint with Azerbaijani side Sabail FK.
Later, the former Real Madrid and AC Milan midfielder joined Nordsjaelland as an assistant coach for the first team.
Finally, he was added to the UEFA License A coaches worldwide list, confirming an interview he gave in 2021 in which he stated that he had no desire to become a coach but believed he had a lot to teach the younger generation of players.
“I never thought I would be a coach when I was playing, but I feel now I have a lot to give to the younger generation coming up, so I decided to learn more about being a coach and to explore this pathway,” Essien explained in 2021.
Daniel Sturridge, the English left-footed striker who, together with Michael Essien, was a member of the Chelsea squad that won the UEFA Champions League for the North London team in 2011-2012, has been the first person to react after Essien’s official announcement.
Sturridge replied to a message on the official Instagram page of Michael Essien to congratulate him on being the first teammate at Chelsea to do so.
“Congrats, bro,” the former England international wrote, as celebrities flocked to Essien’s Instagram page to congratulate him.
The Birmingham-born striker, who won 26 caps for England, is currently without a club after an unsuccessful stint with Australian A-league side Perth Glory in November 2021.
