It was a training session with the first team early in his time at FC Nordsjaelland. Alexander Riget, then technical director, felt compelled to intervene. Such was the ferocity, the coach could not take the risk.
"I needed to say, 'Caleb, get out,' just so he could calm down a little bit and find out how to use his energy." It is an amusing anecdote now. But it reveals something about Coventry City's new signing. There are no half measures with the Ghanaian midfielder.
From day one in Denmark, he was eager to impose himself and make the most of the opportunity. He even lived at the Nordsjaelland facility, taking advantage by spending hour after hour doing extra work. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "He just wanted to stay here so that he could get the right food and get the right sleep," recalls Riget.
"He even had a bicycle in his room so that he could do these things. Every time that the players have been off, he has been in the gym a couple of hours per day." Nordsjaelland is a Danish top-flight club that, unusually, is owned by an academy - Right To Dream - rather than the other way around. The organisation has its roots in Ghana, developing a stellar reputation for bringing through high-quality talent to Europe.
Even so, Yirenkyi is different. With him, it is more than just appetite, more than a mere desire to succeed. "He is a player with a unique character, just to be completely honest," says Riget.
"I have never seen a player like him from a personality perspective." What exactly does that mean? "In his case, he is something special, so humble. I have never seen someone like that." Riget describes a player so focused on achieving his goals that he is able to shut out "all the other noise" and devote himself to football.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
