Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho has offered words of adulation for his Nigerian midfielder, John Obi Mikel. Mourinho told Chelsea’s official website, chelseafc.com that Mikel is quite proficient at what he does. “Mikel is a genius in his position. It is a miracle if he loses the ball,” Mourinho said.
The Nigerian arrived at Chelsea seven and a half years ago from Norwegian club, FC Lyn Oslo as an offensive-minded midfielder. His game has since been reshaped by the “Special One” but the 26-year-old can’t complain and is relishing life in West London. “Coming into a big club like Chelsea, as a young 18-year-old from Africa, it was a dream come true,” Mikel said to chelseafc.com. He however revealed that things were very awkward in his earliest days as a Chelsea player. “I remember coming into the dressing room and I was shaking all through the first week. The players in there really helped me settle in – John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and the other African players that were there at the time. “I looked at these guys every day and I learned a lot from them, how they act on and off the football pitch, which helped me develop and mature as a person. It was a growing up stage which I never had with any other team.
I just jumped straight into this team so I had to learn that way,” he said. Mikel has been criticized in the past for his poor goal scoring return for the Blues but having netted twice already this season, the midfielder said he will like to score even more. “Of course I want to score but at the same time not all 11 players can score, you have people there to keep the shape of the team. If I’m playing with Frank he is always going forward.
If both of us go it’s a disaster, likewise with Rami (Ramires), he’s a box-to-box player. I have to make sure I sit, and if we keep a clean sheet and we win then I’m very happy,” he said. Mikel has made 16 league appearances for Chelsea this season.
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