More accolades are flowing the way of Chelsea of England midfielder, John Mikel Obi, despite his inability to emerge African Footballer of The Year 2013, as one of his teammates at the London-based English Premier League club, Frank Lampard is also rooting for the Super Eagles star.
Several dissenting voices continue to speak out in the wake of last Thursday’s Glo-CAF Awards in Lagos, which gave Manchester City’s Cote d’Ivoire star, Yaya Tour ether top player’s prize instead of Mikel, and Lampard has now added his view with a verdict that his teammate is ‘world class.’
Rather than bow to the CAF verdict that rates EPL rival, Yaya ahead of The Blues’ star, Lampard described Mikel as a world class player that works for the team and has helped him to play well in the squad as well.
Though Mikel has scored only four goals in all competitions since he arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2006, but Lampard says that is mostly because his pal features in the team as a holding midfielder, yet the England international insists the Nigerian star helps him play at top peak for the Chelsea selection.
“It’s very good playing alongside Obi. He’s a top holding midfield player, and for me personally being more attacking in my game it helps to play with someone who has discipline and moves the ball quickly, which Obi can do.
“He’s one of those players, who will not make headlines, but he’s happy to go unrecognized in his work and he has a huge worth for the team when he plays,” Lampard told the Chelsea official website.
Interestingly, Mikel revealed that Lampard was one of The Blues’ senior players who quickened his integration at the top English club, as the English star helped him settle down in the early days of his arrival from Nigeria.
“Coming into a big club like Chelsea, as a young 18-year-old from Africa, it was a dream come true. I remember coming into the dressing room and I was shaking all through the first week.
“The players in there really helped me settle in – John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and the other African players that were there at the time.
“I looked at these guys every day and I learned a lot from them, how they act on and off the football pitch, which helped me develop and mature as a person.
“It was a growing up stage which I never had with any other team. I just jumped straight into this team so I had to learn that way,” recounted the former Lyn Oslo of Norway star.
Source: Sugarsport
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