Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has credited Michael Essien for standing out to support him during his early years at Chelsea.

Mikel met the ex-Black Stars midfielder in Jose Mourinho’s team in 2006 and he recalled the role his African teammate played which helped him integrate quickly into the first-team.

The Super Eagles legend went on to spend the majority of his career at Stamford Bridge which spanned 11 years and he played 249 Premier League games with a goal and 10 assists to his name.

Mikel who was first surprised by the calibre of his teammates revealed how Essien encouraged him to dominate the Blues’ midfield.

“Suddenly, I was sharing a dressing room with all these players I had watched on television back in Africa,” Mikel told the Athletic. “I was sitting next to Lassana Diarra. I’d be there thinking, ‘Oh my God, it’s Didier Drogba. It’s Frank Lampard. It’s John Terry’.

“Michael Essien (who joined 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.”
Mikel who was first surprised by the calibre of his teammates revealed how Essien encouraged him to dominate the Blues’ midfield.

“Suddenly, I was sharing a dressing room with all these players I had watched on television back in Africa,” Mikel told the Athletic. “I was sitting next to Lassana Diarra. I’d be there thinking, ‘Oh my God, it’s Didier Drogba. It’s Frank Lampard. It’s John Terry’.

“Michael Essien (who joined 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.”