Michael Essien backs return of colts football league in Ghana

Ghana’s various national teams heavily depended on colts football teams in the past before the emergence of modern football academies.

Although the academy system has also produced some great talents for the junior and senior national teams in recent years, it came to the detriment of colts football.

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The Ghana FA, however, recently announced plans to re-launch a colts football league geared towards empowering grassroots football.

Reacting to the news, Essien, who played colts football before kicking off his professional career at Ghanaian side Liberty Professionals, backed the initiative.

“Great news, finally we have our Colts youth football league back. Well done, @ghanafaofficial for bringing back Colts football,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Essien started his professional career in the Ghana Premier League before securing a move to French club Lyon via fellow Ligue 1 side Bastia.

The 41-year-old became Chelsea’s record signing when the club forked out £24.4 million to price him away from Lyon in 2005.

He spent almost a decade at Stamford Bridge, helping the Blues to win two Premier League and FA Cup titles, four FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.

The former Ghana midfielder also had stints with Real Madrid and AC Milan before calling time on his career after a brief spell with Azerbaijani side Sabail FK.

Essien has since taken to management and is currently serving as a first-team assistant coach at Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.