John Obi Mikel bows out from football as one of Chelsea’s greatest ever unsung heroes

While he may not be worthy of a statue outside Stamford Bridge, it’s hard to find a greater unsung hero in Chelsea’s recent history than John Obi Mikel.

On Tuesday, Mikel, who made 372 appearances in a trophy-laden 11-year stint with the Blues, announced his retirement from football at the age of 35 after a curtain-closing stint in the Kuwait Premier League.

The ex-Nigeria midfielder bids farewell to the game with an enviable record for both club and country, although the majority of them came to these shores with Chelsea.

He took every great honor there was to win at Bridge, winning the Premier League twice, the FA Cup three times and also captured 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.

And unbelievably, his story in English football could have been very different had he not made a move to Manchester United in 2006 to join their Premier League rivals.

Before that transfer drama, Mikel had left the Nigerian Plateau United to sign at the age of 16 for his first professional club, Norway’s Lyn Fotball, after impressing at the 2003 FIFA U17 World Championships.

It was in Norway where the Jos-born star first caught Man United’s attention.

The Red Devils thought they had secured a gem after signing a deal with Lyn to bring him to England in January 2006 and even held a press conference to reveal him as a United player shortly before, with Mikel even wearing their home shirt put on. It turned out to be premature.

Because Chelsea, also eager to get their hands on the youngster, soon hijacked United’s deal and out of the blue, eventually negotiating a settlement with their English colleagues and Lyn to sign Mikel after a crazy saga in which the Blues falsely were accused of kidnapping him.

They eventually won the race for his autograph in June 2006 and from then on the rest was history.

After making his debut in September of that year, Mikel became a fixture in Chelsea’s first team, playing 42 times in his first campaign with the club, taking home two trophies – the FA Cup and League Cup.

His calm consistency in the heart of midfield, coupled with an excellent injury record, is best symbolized by his appearances in the six years since Mourinho’s 2007 departure; under seven different coaches, Mikel ran at least 35 times each season until the Special One returned.

The same couldn’t be said for his goal tally, despite originally starting his career as a number 10. After scoring twice in his first season for Chelsea, Mikel failed to find the back of the net again until Mourinho’s second term in office in 2013-14.

Nevertheless, the lack of goals only added to his cult hero status in SW6 and he wasn’t to blame, as Mourinho was responsible for transforming him from a number 10 – where he continued to operate for Nigeria – to a defensive midfielder.

Mikel spoke earlier this year and said: Pulse Sports: ‘Of course I was such a creative midfielder, I was so creative. I was so gifted with the ball, I never lost the ball and that’s why I played the part of number 10. I was this man who made everything happen.

“And then when you go to Chelsea, of course with those big players, huge players, you have to give something.

‘And then, he’ [Mourinho] looked at it and said “I can’t really get you to play it” [No 10] because we have Joe Cole playing there. We’ve got huge names out there, you’re going to have to change something,” and we talked about it.

“I thought it was a positive talk, and then he said, ‘I see you playing there’ [deeper in midfield].”‘

It may have hurt his attacking performance, but in retrospect Mikel’s position change under Mourinho turned out to be a masterstroke – helping Chelsea write a new chapter in their decorated history.

As a defensive midfielder, his superb ball control and natural strength allowed him to thrive alongside some great mid-park names such as Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien.

He was sidelined 25 times when the club became Premier League champions in 2009-10, his first title win with Chelsea, a season in which he also won a second FA Cup.

But when it’s all said and done, Mikel will be remembered by Blues supporters for one historic achievement. And it came in Munich.

After the resignation of Andre Villas-Boas, interim boss Roberto Di Matteo has reintroduced a number of key figures exiled under the previous regime, including Mikel.

The latter was one of several warhorses that helped Chelsea to the most unlikely Champions League final victories that season; including a three-goal comeback against Napoli, a heroic 10-man recovery at Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and, most memorable, a dramatic win against Bayern Munich in their own backyard.

They say great players rise to the big occasions, and on May 19, 2012, at Munich’s Allianz Arena, Mikel produced a never-ending performance as Di Matteo’s men stunned Bayern and won the big-eared trophy. after penalties.

Didier Drogba’s final shot and the winning penalty are the images that most come to mind as they reminisce about that final.

But during the 120-minute action, Mikel was comfortably Chelsea’s best performer of the evening. In fact, he was arguably the best player on the field.

The elegant, classy midfielder didn’t tire of breaking through Bayern’s offensive efforts that night, providing a much-needed shield for barely fit Gary Cahill and David Luiz in the back.

In a clip that went viral on social media last year, Mikel’s superb defensive work and silky-smooth midfield play that night is plain to see for all to see. Quite simply, he performed out of his skin.

Without that majestic display, Bayern might have already vanished from view by the time Drogba netted his tying header from death. His legendary penalty to crown Chelsea champions of Europe for the first time may never have come to pass either.

“I’ve played a lot of good games, but given what was at stake, it’s my best game for Chelsea,” he told The Athletic last year. ‘We played on their own ground, in their stadium. It added to the pressure.

“I did pretty much everything that day, defensively and moving forward. It’s a game I’m proud of. What makes it even more special is that I saved my best performance for Chelsea’s biggest game ever. Not bad, huh?’

After that career-defining moment, Mikel’s remaining time at Chelsea never reached the same heights.

Despite 38 appearances in all competitions, he was an unused substitute in their 2013 Europa League final win over Benfica. Mourinho then returned that summer, although Mikel’s playing time slowly declined over the next two years.

In the Special One’s second title-winning season, he played just 18 times.

A further 33 appearances came in what his final Chelsea campaign proved, when a crisis-ravaged Blues team finished 10th in the Premier League after Guus Hiddink stabilized Mourinho’s sinking ship.

He didn’t officially leave Bridge until January 2017, but Mikel’s playing days for Chelsea were over at the end of that woeful 2015-16 season, which meant he eventually left for China through the back door.

Either way, Mikel had already reserved a special place in Blues hearts years before his inconspicuous departure. His masterly display in Munich will remain in the memory for a long time.

In the most successful period of Chelsea’s 117-year history, John Obi Mikel was the glue that held it all together.