Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, believes John Obi Mikel can become the club’s best player due to his attitude on the training pitch.
The Nigerian struggles to get regular first-team football at Stamford Bridge due to serious competition in the middle of the park, but after filling in for the suspended Nemanja Matic, Mourinho believes the midfielder is one of the club’s top players.
After playing against Newcastle United, despite the defeat, Mourinho thought Mikel stood out as one of the best performers, and he believes he is proof that if you work hard enough, you can become a top player at the club.
“The first time he played [from the start in the Premier League] was Newcastle and he was our best player,” Mourinho said of Mikel.
“How can he be our best player if he didn’t play in three months? Because he was working every day at the top level. Sad, frustrated, not happy? Maybe. But professional – that’s what I expect from the players.
“It’s the concept of helping the team. Everybody has to be ready to sacrifice for the team, to give everything for the team, to think about the team and not to be selfish. This is the way I want a team to be.
“The one that comes on in the last five minutes, he’s a crucial player. If he makes a mistake the team loses; if he doesn’t, the team wins. Everybody wins, everybody loses.
“I want a short squad. In a short squad, everybody is important. I need every player. And when I sign a player, I don’t say ‘it’s you plus 10’. I say ‘it’s you plus 21 or 22’.
“You have to know the squad is good at Chelsea. If you’re at a Chelsea as a goalkeeper, you can’t imagine that you’re the only good goalkeeper. It’s the same for the strikers. For me, all of this is very normal.”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
