The 59-times capped Ghana star is now an assistant to the manager of Danish club FC Nordsjælland and has been with the club since the summer of 2020.
The Superliga side have close links to the famous Right to Dream academy in Michael Essien’s home country and it just so happens Mohamed Diomande joined the club the same year as the coach.
Essien – who was the most expensive African player in history when Chelsea paid a reported £24.4m to sign him from Marseille in 2005 – is considered one of the best midfielders and African players of his generation.
Mohamed Diomande & Michael Essien
Rangers are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Mohamed Diomande and this news about Michael Essien will pique the transfer interest of fans.
Essien – who spent a total of nine years at Chelsea – also turned out for the likes of Lyon, Real Madrid, and AC Milan in a glittering career where he also earned 59 Ghana caps.
An all-action midfielder with sublime technique and a penchant for a long-range rocket, Essien isn’t exactly the worst mentor in the world for a young West African trying to make it in the game.
Ivorian talent Mohamed Diomande joined FC Nordsjælland just a few months before Michael Essien but the Ghanaian’s wisdom is sure to have been priceless in the midfielder’s development.
Rangers close on FC Nordsjælland talent
Mohamed Diomande might have some proving himself to do in the global game before he can be compared to Michael Essien, but the links between the players will be of interest to Ibrox fans.
Essien was one of the foremost West African players of his generation and for a young player just starting out from the region the influence of such a figure is sure to have been ginormous.
Th links to Right to Dream are also likely to be part of the reason why Essien got the gig in the first place.
The Right to Dream Academy offers opportunities to young kids from Ghana and the surrounding area and Mohamed Diomande is one of the young stars whose made the breakthrough in Europe.
Playing over 110 games for FC Nordsjælland, the challenge for Diomande at Rangers is taking his game to the next level, with the advice of Michael Essien still ringing in his ear.
Should a deal for the midfielder be completed, Diomande will be the second signing of Philippe Clement’s Rangers reign after Fabio Silva.
