Mikel Obi reveals intimate secrets
OpenLife Nigeria reports that the success former Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel Obi recorded during his days in active football has roots in some divine connection with the right persons.
In an exclusive interview, disclosed how Michael Essien played a key role in helping him to adjust to life at Chelsea.
Mikel joined the Blues in 2006 and didn’t leave the Blues until 2017, where he won the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, Premier League, UEFA Europa League, Community Shield and Football League Cup.
In an interview with The Athletic, Mikel said that a former Ghanaian international made him have a lot of confidence in the game.
“Suddenly, I was sharing a dressing room with all these players I had watched on television back in Africa.
“I was sitting next to Lassana Diarra. I would be there thinking, ‘Oh my God, it’s Didier Drogba. It’s Frank Lampard. It’s John Terry’.
“Michael Essien [who joined Chelsea from Lyon in the summer of 2005] really helped me. Michael always told me I was a good player and just reminded me to bring the ball down, control and pass.
“If you need to dribble, dribble. If you don’t need to, just pass. You are strong. You are fast, too. If you can, just push the ball past and run, run, run because they cannot catch you.
“He was the guy who really helped me and made me have a lot of confidence,” he disclosed.
Born on April 22, 1987, Mikel Obi began his career with local club Plateau United, before joining Norwegian club Lyn at the age of 17 in 2004.
In 2006, he made a controversial transfer to English club Chelsea after Manchester United claimed they had already signed him.
He stayed with Chelsea for 11 years, before moving to China with Tianjin TEDA in 2017.
After two years in China, he returned to England on a short-term deal with Middlesbrough, before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in July 2019. Mikel moved back to England in August 2020 joining Stoke City.
In a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, he played 91 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals