489979 comments

• Comment Link https://www.ntis.gov Freitag, 07 Oktober 2022 07:42

  While he may not be worthy of a statue outside Stamford Bridge, it is hard
  to find a bigger unsung hero in Chelsea's recent history
  than John Obi Mikel.
  
  On Tuesday Mikel, who featured 372 times in a trophy-laden 11-year stint with the Blues, announced his retirement from football aged 35 following a curtain-closing spell in the Kuwait Premier League.
  
  
  The ex-Nigeria midfielder bows out from the game with an enviable list
  of honours in the bag for both club and country, though
  the majority of them came on these shores with Chelsea.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chelsea cult hero John Obi Mikel has called time on his football career at the age of 35
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mikel (second from left) helped the Blues win a number of major trophies from 2006-17
  
  
  He scooped up every major honour there was to win at the Bridge, lifting the Premier League
  twice, the FA Cup three times and also capturing the League Cup, Europa League and Champions League. 
  
  
  
  
  Mikel's outstanding performance in the 2012 Champions League final - which helped the Blues topple Bayern Munich in their
  own backyard to become European champions for the
  first time - is still talked about by supporters to
  this day.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  RELATED ARTICLES
  
  
  Previous
  
  1
  
  Next
  
  
  
  
  Chelsea 'enter the £130m fight to sign Jude Bellingham
  - but... REVEALED: Jose Mourinho's 2006 Premier League medal he threw...
  Arsenal and Liverpool 'join Chelsea in hoping to mimic Man...
  
  AC Milan 'are considering a move for Chelsea's Armando...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Share this article
  
  
  Share
  
  
  1.5k shares
  
  
  
  
  
  
  And incredibly, his story in English football could have been entirely different had
  he not U-turned on a move to Manchester United to join their Premier League
  rivals in 2006.
  
  Before that transfer drama, Mikel had left Nigeria's Plateau United to sign for his first professional club, Norway's Lyn Fotball, at
  the age of 16 after impressing at the FIFA U17 World Championships in 2003. 
  
  It was in Norway where the Jos-born star first caught Man United's eye. 
  
  The Red Devils thought they'd secured a gem after striking a deal with Lyn to bring him to England in January 2006 and even staged a press conference
  to unveil him as a United player shortly before, with Mikel even donning
  their home shirt. In the end it proved premature.
  
  Because Chelsea, also keen to get their hands on the youngster, soon snuck up and hijacked United's deal out of nowhere, eventually negotiating a settlement with their English colleagues and Lyn to sign Mikel
  following a crazy saga which saw the Blues falsely accused
  of kidnapping him.
  
  They finally won the race for his signature in June 2006 and, from there, the rest was history.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Nigerian star snubbed a move to Manchester United when he
  signed for Chelsea in 2006
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sir Alex Ferguson and Co thought they had signed Mikel from Norwegian club Lyn Fotbal
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  But he instead headed to Stamford Bridge after the Blues reached a settlement with United
  
  
  After making his debut in September of that year, Mikel became a first-team regular for Chelsea, featuring 42 times in his first campaign with the club and getting his
  hands on two trophies - the FA Cup and League Cup - in the process.
  
  
  
  His quiet consistency at the heart of midfield, coupled with a
  superb injury record, is best symbolised by his appearance numbers over the six years after Mourinho's departure
  in 2007; under seven different coaches, Mikel ran out at least 35 times every
  season until the Special One returned.
  
  The same could not be said for his goalscoring tally, despite originally starting his
  career as a No 10. Having scored twice in his first season for Chelsea,
  Mikel failed to find the back of the net again until Mourinho's second tenure in 2013-14.
  
  
  
  
  'I had lots of good games, but given what was at stake, that is my best game
  for Chelsea,' he told The Athletic last year. 'We were playing on their home ground,
  in their stadium. It added to the pressure.
  
  'I pretty much did everything that day, defensively and
  going forward. It's a game I'm proud of. What makes
  it more special is I saved my best performance for Chelsea's biggest ever game.
  
  Not bad, eh?'
  
  After that career-defining moment, Mikel's remaining time at Chelsea never quite reached the same heights. 
  
  Despite making 38 appearances in all competitions, he was an unused substitute in their 2013 Europa
  League final victory over Benfica. Mourinho then returned that summer,
  though Mikel's playing time slowly reduced over the next two years. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  He never reached the same heights again, but Mikel departed with icon status cemented
  
  
  In the Special One's second title-winning season, he
  featured a mere 18 times.
  
  Another 33 outings came in what proved his final Chelsea campaign, when a crisis-stricken Blues team finished 10th in the Premier League after Guus Hiddink came in to steady
  Mourinho's sinking ship.
  
  He did not officially depart the Bridge until
  January 2017, but Mikel's playing days for Chelsea were over at the close of that sorry
  2015-16 season, meaning he eventually headed to China somewhat out of the back
  door.
  
  Regardless, Mikel had already reserved a special place in Blues' hearts years before his low-profile exit.
  His masterful showing in Munich will live long in the memory.
  
  
  In the most successful period of Chelsea's 117-year history,
  John Obi Mikel was the glue that held it all together.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  RELATED ARTICLES
  
  
  Previous
  
  1
  
  Next
  
  
  
  
  Chelsea 'enter the £130m fight to sign Jude Bellingham - but...
  REVEALED: Jose Mourinho's 2006 Premier League medal he threw...
  Arsenal and Liverpool 'join Chelsea in hoping to mimic Man...
  AC Milan 'are considering a move for Chelsea's Armando...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Share this article
  
  
  Share
  
  
  1.5k shares
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  data-track-module="am-external-links^external-links">
  Read more:
  
  
  
  Ex-Super Eagles star Mikel reveals why Mourinho
  converted him to a defensive midfielder at Chelsea | Pulse
  Nigeria
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Kyzyl-Kyya Kyrgyzstan (https://www.ntis.gov)
• Comment Link post-206 Freitag, 07 Oktober 2022 07:34

  It is not my first time to pay a quick visit this website,
  i am browsing this website dailly and get nice information from here all the time.