Former Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel Obi has disclosed how Michael Essien played a key role in helping him to adjust to life at Chelsea.
Recall that 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 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.
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“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.”
6 Comments
One thing I am glad about Ghana-Nigeria relation is this. We are brothers, speak same britico lingual though ours is better pronounciation. Michael has now fully taken off in his coaching career and is using his experience to guide the young players at Nordsjaelland, a Dane club side and is happy to hear from John Michel Obi. Obi was a big player back in the days that we fear him in matches against Nigeria even here in Accra. At the middle field, he caused problems for Yeboa, Stephen Appiah. I still remember his face me I face you engagement with Amoah that almost led to a fight and the match was halted for 15minutes. The problem of Africans is we do not speak good of our neighbors, always lets spoil him even if the brother man is good, Obi, shame the devils. You are good man, thanks.
Who is the Ghana man sef? You call us anago in your small country and now has the audacious temerity to make comment here. Common go to your Ghana soccernet and make noise. We know our problems is between us vs fulani, and hedsmen. Don’t you have fulani wasting your people in Ghana? You are already occupied slaves in Africa, noise maker no defence. Brothers man indeed. Who tell you John Obi is a Nigerian? We know Essien is a good footballer like Okocha, he has our respect.
Please don’t stoop to his level, not everyone is sane. Nigeria-Ghana one love, he is not the owner of CSN, so he can’t stop from commenting here.
This altercation is not a good way to show love. Please stop it you both.
Most of our ex-internationals lack communication skills and empathy. They just open their mouths anyhow. These ex-internationals should give Michael Essien a call, so he can give them tips on how to be a mentor to younger players.
The words of an older person can make or mar a younger person. If our ex-internationals have nothing constructive to say by way of criticism or encouragement, then it is better for them to keep quiet.
Please don’t stoop to his level, not everyone is sane. Nigeria-Ghana one love, he is not the owner of CSN, so he can’t stop from commenting here.