Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has credited Michael Essien for standing out to support him during his early years at Chelsea.
Mikel met the ex-Black Stars midfielder in Jose Mourinho's team in 2006 and he recalled the role his African teammate played which helped him integrate quickly into the first-team.
The Super Eagles legend went on to spend the majority of his career at Stamford Bridge which spanned 11 years and he played 249 Premier League games with a goal and 10 assists to his name.
Mikel who was first surprised by the calibre of his teammates, revealed how Essien encouraged him to dominate the Blues’ midfield.