A product of the former British Council youth development project, Community Action Through Sport (CATS), Riliwan Hassan has disclosed that he is eagerly looking forward to receiving technical tips from the head coach at FC Midtjylland of Denmark, Svend Graversen.
Sports247 reports that the now 35-year-old Hassan made the disclosure following confirmation of his appointment as an assistant coach with Midtjylland’s under-19 squad, seven years after he left the Danish top-flight team as a player.
The former dashing winger, who grew up in Orile-Iganmu area of Lagos and joined Midtjylland at the age of 16 from FC Ebedei of Sagamu, is already thinking big about creating another round of impressions, as he did while playing for the club for more than 10 years.
Hassan, who joined Ebedei after attending one of their scouting competitions with CATS’ sister squad, National Grassroots Dream Team in 2003, made 264 appearances for Midtjylland and helped them win two Danish Superliga titles as well as one Danish Cup.
The dark-skinned dazzler from Kwara State, who was known for his blistering pace, attacking ability and all-action efforts, left Midtjylland in 2019, then joined fellow-Danish side, Sønderjyske before moving to Sreenidi Deccan FC of India and later Ham Kam of Norway.
He has now returned to the club where his professional journey began, as he starts work as assistant coach of the under-19 team alongside Graversen, who he eagerly wants to leant technical details under, because he admits coaching brings a different challenge in football.
“I am happy that I will be working closely with Svend Graversen. He will teach me a lot. I know him from when I was a player at the club. So, it is a good opportunity for me to start under him. I look forward to learning an incredible amount as a coach.
“I know a lot about being a player, but now it’s a new role that I have to get to know,” said Hassan, who emerged as second most valuable player, behind former Super Eagles’ attacker, Nnamdi Oduamadi, at the 2002 Dokun Abidoye Memorial Cup in Osogbo.
