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 the 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.”
