Nigeria Legend Mikel Obi Reveals Michael Essien's Advice That Helped Him Succeed at Chelsea

• Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has lauded his ex-Stamford Bridge teammate Michael Essien for his impact on his career
• According to Mikel, he was initially feeling jittery when he arrived but Essien helped him to settle down during his early days at Chelsea
• Essien and Mikel were integral members of Jose Mourinho’s squad that won the Premier League in 2005/06 and went on to win several other top trophies

John Obi Mikel has credited Michael Essien as the teammate who helped him settle when he first arrived at Chelsea.

According to the ex-Nigeria captain, he panicked at the sight of the big names in the Chelsea team when he first arrived but Essien helped him adapt.

Mikel completed a dream move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2006 following a transfer tug of war between the Blues and Manchester United.

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Opening up on his early days at the club, Mikel said he was initially starstruck by the calibre of teammates he met at Chelsea.

"Suddenly, I was sharing a dressing room with all these players I had watched on television back in Africa,’ Mikel told The Athletic, quoted by CitiSports.

"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.

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"He was the guy who really helped me and made me have a lot of confidence."

Mikel made a total of 372 appearances in all competitions during his ten-and-a-half-year Chelsea career winning the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup trophies.

He became a key member at Chelsea and spent almost a decade at the club, where he won multiple Premier League and FA Cup titles as well as the UEFA Champions League.

Nigeria Legend John Obi Mikel Finally Reveals Toughest Opponent He Faced in the Premier League

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Former Chelsea and Super Eagles midfielder, John Obi Mikel has revealed Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard as the most difficult opponent he faced in his football career.

Mikel and Gerrard squared off severally in the English Premier League when the Nigerian represented Chelsea during his playing career in England.

The 35-year-old Nigerian midfielder admitted Steven Gerrard was one of the quickest and fastest players he has ever seen on the ball which made him a tough opponent to mark Daily Post reports.