Michael Essien has joined Danish side FC Nordsjaelland as a player-coach for the 2020-2021 season.
The 37-year-old has now agreed to assist head coach Flemming Pedersen for the coming season as the Danish side look to better their eighth place finish last season.
The former Chelsea and Ghana midfielder is looking to earn his full coaching badges by spending time with the first team and its Right to Dream Academy.
According to the club, Essien will join the staff in an assistant role and participate in the training alongside the players to help implement the drills and ideas.
The former Lyon and Real Madrid player will also contribute to video analysis and group evaluations following each training session.
His new position will see him link up with his compatriot Mas-Ud Didi Dramani (the club's transition coach) as a member of the coaching staff.
Essien, who will start his duties on Thursday, took to social media to share his delighted about the opportunity to achieve his coaching qualifications at the club.
I am delighted to have joined FC Nordsjaelland coaching staff as part of my development towards my full coaching licence,' he said.
'I will also be assisting the players on and off the pitch as part of my role.'
While the club's sports director Jan Laursen also shared his excitement about Essien's appointment, saying: 'Michael left a very positive impression here during his visit and we continued the dialogue with him after he had left.
'We felt, he was excited by what he experienced here through our philosophy, the people he met at the club, and that our environment inspired him.
'At the same time, Michael's visit gave us a clear impression of how much a coaching staff member on the pitch, as an active part of the training with the players, can contribute and add.
'That part we are really looking forward to further developing, and we are very happy that it can happen through and with such a football- and human capacity as Michael Essien is.'
Head coach Pedersen is excited to work with Essien, given his impressive footballing career.
'In the coaching staff we've experienced Michael Essien as both curious and hungry for knowledge before and after the training sessions, but at the same time also contributing and giving among the players during the training', he said.
'His career and experience speak for themselves, but when you add his humble and giving personality, this is an exceptional opportunity for us to get a person added to the staff who can help make our environment even more developing for our players and also add valuable input to the coaching team and be our hand on the training pitch. We are very much looking forward to welcoming Michael to FCN.'
Essien had a stellar career as a player, picking up trophies with both Lyon and Chelsea.
Having joined the French outfit in 2003, Essien won back-to-back Ligue 1 crowns in the 2003-2004 and the 2004-2005 seasons.
Essien’s hard work paid off further as he was handed the Ligue 1 player of the year award in 2005.
Such form caught the attention of Chelsea, who signed the forward for £24.4million, - which at the time was a club record for the Blues.
Essien spent nine successful years at Stamford Bridge, winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a League Cup before leaving in 2014.