Super Eagles head coach candidate Michael Nsien has revealed that he will pay a lot of attention to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) if he gets the job, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nsien is one of the big names that have thrown their hat into the ring for the Super Eagles coaching position, and he has been quite vocal recently.
The 43-year-old tactician has spent most of his life in the United States of America. That was also where he played most of his football in his active years. He also started his coaching career in the country and is the current coach for the under-19 team.
However, despite spending most of his time in the USA, Nsien has iterated his readiness to work with the local-based Nigerian players and coaches.
“First of all, I think it's imperative that I live in Nigeria if I get the Super Eagles job,” Nsien said in an interview on Brila FM.
“There's the June fixture against South Africa, then there are other fixtures for the AFCON. I think it's imperative that I'm there and on the ground, not just for the NPFL because I think my job will also be to help co-ordinate the infrastructure of the coaches and the Philosophy of Nigerian football.
“I plan on going above and beyond. I know the major focus will be the Super Eagles, and I wouldn't neglect that by any means. But there should be a process that the NFF is choosing a coach and a clear pathway for us to be developing coaches within our own infrastructure.
“As regards the NPFL, I say 100% that a coach has to be dedicated to viewing and understanding the league, not just for participation in the senior team, but I think it helps when you're there and you're watching games. It inspires players to go above and beyond because there's hope, there's belief that they can make that team. I think that inspires generations, and if local players do make the team and they are successful, then they get sold to big clubs, the money goes back to the club, they develop their other players, and build their status. Then, we will get the NPFL back to how it used to be then.
“The NPFL brand can return to how it was 8-9 years ago. If I had the authority, I would make it mandatory to have three or four players from the local league in the senior team. We need players from the league to understand what it means and what it looks like to be around the top players in the world. So when they get back to their clubs, it rubs off on the other players.
In recent years, under the tutelage of Gernot Rohr and Jose Peseiro, the home-based players have been largely neglected. However, if Nsien gets the job, he could bring a breath of fresh air with his plans.
Nonetheless, the NFF is yet to reveal their man for the job, and there are still other top coaches like Emmanuel Amunike and Finidi George in the mix.
He makes a lot of sense, to me I wish him the best.