Mikel Obi Reveals Player Who Helped Him At Chelsea

Published

5 years ago

October 13, 2021

Chelsea hero, John Mikel Obi, has named former teammate, Michael Essien, as the player who helped him during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Mikel explained that Essien always told him he was a good player and reminded him to bring the ball down, control and pass.

According to him, the former Ghanaian international made him have a lot of confidence in the game.

Mikel joined Chelsea in 2006, and didn’t leave the Blues until 2017.

The former Super Eagles captain made a total of 372 appearances for Chelsea in a career that saw him lift the Premier League trophy twice as well as the UEFA Champions League once in 2011/12.

“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 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.”

(DAILY POST)

UCL Final: Paul Merson Mentions Three Players Who Should Lead Arsenal’s Attack Against PSG

Published

4 days ago

May 29, 2026

Editor

Former Arsenal star, Paul Merson, has mentioned three players that should lead the Gunners’ attack when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

Both teams will clash in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday evening.

However, in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson wants the likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard to lead Arsenal’s attack against Luis Enrique’s side.

“I expect Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard to lead the Arsenal attack in this game,” Merson said.

“I like Trossard. He plays in all the big games because he’s such a reliable and good footballer. But I don’t expect Arsenal to open PSG up with this trio. Their real chance is through set-pieces,” he said.

PSG and Arsenal head to the game after eliminating Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, respectively, in the semi-final earlier this month.

Sports

UCL: Paul Merson Tells PSG How To Beat Arsenal In Final

Published

4 days ago

May 29, 2026

Editor

Arsenal legend, Paul Merson, has told Paris Saint-Germain how to beat Arsenal when both teams clash in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Arsenal will take on PSG in the Champions League final on Saturday night in Budapest.

However, in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson disclosed that if the Parisians want to win Mikel Arteta’s side, they must not allow the Gunners to score the first goal in the encounter.

“If PSG want to win this final, they cannot afford to let Arsenal score the first goal,” Merson said.

“We know how difficult Arsenal can be to break down. Even PSG can play defensive like they did against Bayern in the second leg, but their front-three is just superior to Arsenal.

“Even if Arsenal try, they cannot match PSG’s attack,” he said.

Sports

World Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo Tipped To Olay 2030 Tournament

Published

4 days ago

May 29, 2026

Editor

Former Eric Djemba-Djemba has asserted that Cristiano Ronaldo has the potential to participate in the 2030 World Cup.

The Cameroonian emphasized the Portugal captain’s relentless pursuit of self-improvement.

“It would be the ideal conclusion,” the former Manchester United midfielder said as he backed Ronaldo’s ambition to continue playing until the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Djemba-Djemba believes that if his former teammate chooses not to retire by 2030, Portugal should certainly include him in their World Cup squad.

He stated on BetVictor via GOAL, “He is driven by a desire to enhance his skills and to compete. I have never encountered a mentality quite like his. If he is still active when the 2030 World Cup takes place in Portugal, I firmly believe he should be included in the team.”

Djemba-Djemba further remarked that it would represent the perfect conclusion to Ronaldo’s career if he were to play in the 2030 World Cup alongside his son before retiring from professional football.

“It would be the perfect finale to his career and a remarkable moment for Portuguese football. And just think if Cristiano Jr. is also present. That would be extraordinary.”

Ronaldo holds the record as the top goalscorer in international men’s football, with 143 goals to his credit.