FC Nordsjalland owner Tom Vernon is confident the arrival of player-coach Michael Essien will boost the mentality of the team's young squad.

Essien, 37, has agreed to deputize for coach Flemming Pedersen and impact positively on the younng players.

And FC Nordsjalland and Right to Dream Academy owner Tom Vernon is delighted the Chelsea legend has joined his side.

“He’s in that very top bracket of that [African] generation with some of the Arsenal and Chelsea boys who changed so much on the continent. He’s also a real cultural fit for our environment, and I always knew that,” says Vernon.

“He’s always been a quiet guy, but what he does say is straight to the point and he oozes a winner mentality. He’s got great insight and observations and then obviously so much relevant experience. He trains every day with the team, so a lot of what gets transferred is by the way he trains, and the decisions he makes on the pitch even in a small-sided game is such a rapid learning curve for young players.”