THE JOHN OBI MIKEL EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
JOHN MIKEL OBI in an interview with Kayode Tijani, addresses the issue of Marriage, his five Bentley's and other issues. Read the excerpts below:
COMMITMENT TO NIGERIA
Well whatever happened , whatever transpired before the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, I know the truth, I know what happened, but all respect to the truth, the guys went there and did everyone proud, they didn't win it but they really tried, they got to the final, if I was there, maybe they could not have made it to the final, and maybe if I was there they could have won, but, well, maybe sometimes when I speak, because I don't speak a lot, people get confused, but I like showing people the passion I have for this game. When I come to play for my country, I love to give 110 per cent, I love playing for my Country every time I get called up, if I am injured, I will put myself to the team managers, to the NFF. I think people should realize that like every other footballer, I get injured sometimes. I always want to play for my Country, and with the relationship going on between my Club Chelsea anytime they want me to play I am there.
MARRIAGE DILEMMA
I know, normal people don't go through what I am going through now when it concerns finding a Wife to marry, and normal people don't at all. Believe me it's so so difficult, very difficult, it's so so difficult you just have to leave it to God. There might be someone who really loves me truly for who I am but I may not be aware and maybe you don't know... or you may think she's one of those who loves you for who you are or what you have, or because of your money, maybe she's there for you, you never know, you get so confused, now I have decided I will just leave it to God to decide who I get married to.
RUMOURS OF FIVE BENTLEY'S
One thing is I really don't go into the Nigerian Papers, not like I don't care, my Agent called me, he was in Nigeria and he said to me there are rumours that I have Bentleys, I am like what, five Bentleys, what am I going to do with Five Bentleys, they are all same cars. I think it boils down to when you are doing really well, when things are going well for you, you become what people don't expect you to become, what people don't expect you to achieve, you know there's always going to be rumours flying here and there, it all depends on how well you manage yourself though, you curtail yourself from things that are not right for you, I want to play this game for a very long time, I love Chelsea, I will like to finish my Career here at Chelsea but it depends on what happens, who comes and goes, that's football, we shall see what the future holds.
THE NIGERIAN MEDIA AND I
I am not angry at the Media, sometimes when they write wrong thing about me, they are just doing their job, they want to sell their papers. I am not saying Mikel is anything or so but when people see Mikel on the front pages of the papers, they go and buy it and I think they are making quite a lot of money from that. I love to speak with the press but I love it when things are done properly, I am a busy person who has got schedules as well, you can't just come to me and say Mikel I want to interview you, things are not done that way, if things are done properly, I will do interviews, but if things are not arranged properly, can't just meet me at the lobby of a hotel, you meet me in the streets and say I want to speak to you, it doesn't work that way. ONLY GOD CAN FIND ME A WIFE
==DAY CHELSEA BIG BOYS INITIATED ME
==ADDRESSES RUMOURS OF OWNING FIVE BENTLEY S
==I AM NOT THE NEW JAY JAY OKOCHA
==AGENT, JOHN SHITTU IS MY SOUL MATE
This week we are meeting Chelsea FC and Super Eagles Midfield Star JOHN MIKEL OBI, real name John Michael Nchekube Obi. There’s really very little need to introduce this guy as he needs very little introduction even Internationally. Nigeria’s biggest name in International Sports today, the richest, the most popular and he’s added huge achievements to his CV. So, best to just meet him now and read his most revealing Interview ever, he addresses all issues, even the most personal and he answers them very frankly: The issue of Marriage, His having Five Bentley s, All footballing issues, EVERYTHING.
ENJOY
==DAY HE WAS INITIATED BY THE CHELSEA BIG BOYS
In Chelsea before each game we always have a motivational speech from one of the members of the team and it takes a MAN to make that kind of speech, and they have been asking me that Mikel you have to start making this speech because you are becoming an important player in the Team, this was in my third season at the Club,, it’s the right time to make the speech they kept reminding me. So I said okay, I am going to give the speech. Interestingly I gave a good speech and we went on to beat Middleborough 5-0 and they all told me that I I am going to be making the speeches every week so that we can be beating every team 5-0. So you know you have been initiated, you have just finished your apprenticeship in the Team and have joined the top guys, you are now an important part of the team, and you know you are a man in the Team. If people like Frank Lampard and John Terry say you are now a man I believe them. Right now I know the expectations of people on me every week, they expect to see me on top of my game, it takes a lot, I have to be prepared for it, rest a lot, concentrate, be focused, and give people what they want to see. From my first game at Chelsea where I almost scored I have developed the confidence I needed to succeed at Chelsea. Yeah its difficult when you play with players like Frank Lampard and Deco and Ballack in the middle, these are quite experienced and world class acts, the best midfield players you can look for anywhere. I think playing with these players I have learnt a lot from them, all of them, I think they make my job easier, much more easier and I make their jobs much more easier for them as well, it’s all about working together and understanding each other and that has made the Chelsea and the Team in general successful over the years. We want to be together, we play together, always looking out for each other.
==PRESSURE OF FIRST TEAM SHIRT AT CHELSEA
One thing about me is that I love pressure, I love it when the expectation is highest because when people when people don’t expect things from you, then you get relaxed, I think am on top of my game, I think I am where people want me to be, but when there’s pressure and people want more from you, it makes you it makes me want to improve more everyday. I like the pressure, I like working hard everyday, when I do that and I see it in my game, I am pleased with myself. Well, when Mourinho was here, I use to play as well,but with Scolari I was also playing fairly regularly. Well people always say when Michael Essien returns from injury I won’t be playing regularly, but it doesn't always work out that way,its football, when Essien then came back it was always the decision of the Coaches and I still get to play regularly. All due respect to Essien, he’s a fantastic player. We missed him those times he was out injured.
== RED CARD AGONIES
In my first Season at Chelsea I had two red cards, and in my second year I also had two red cards and when I spoke to people around me I knew something had to change in my game. I think actually it was one of the reasons that stopped me from playing some games in my second season at Chelsea. I was told the Manager was scared to play me because I was consistently picking up yellow cards and red cards. It was quite difficult for them to make that decision, but from the third season I had started mastering reading the game more, I know when to go for tackles and when not to go and hopefully gone now are the days when I get needless cards. No you don’t want to know what goes through my mind when I see the RED Cards shown to me, no you don’t. You just think, oh, your team is going to suffer right now because of your fault, now they will have to play with ten men, you kind of feel bad because at the end of the day it they lose it’s your fault.
==MISSED PENALTY
If I get called up to take penalties in future I will take it. The fact that I lost a very crucial penalty in the Carling Cup against Burnley as far back as 2008 notwithstanding. that’s football. I was man enough to come out and take it, my team mates told me we know you lost a penalty but you have the courage to come and take it, that’s the way.
==THE NEW JAY JAY OKOCHA?
I will tell you what I used to say to people all the time. When I was coming into the national team, they say, oh, there’s a new Jay Jay Okocha and I say to them there’s always going to be only one Jay Jay Okocha and there’s always going to be only one Mikel Obi.Jay Jay, one of the best African players that played in England, all respect to him, I respect Jay Jay Okocha, I respect him a lot, I have seen him quite a few times, he’s a nice person, he’s the kind of player who loves to encourage the younger ones to do well, but I believe we are too different kind of players totally.
==COMMITMENT TO NIGERIAN
Well whatever happened , whatever transpired before the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, I know the truth, I know what happened, but all respect to the truth, the guys went there and did everyone proud, they didn't win it but they really tried, they got to the final, if I was there, maybe they could not have made it to the final, and maybe if I was there they could have won, but, well, maybe sometimes when I speak, because I don’t speak a lot, people get confused, but I like showing people the passion I have for this game. When I come to play for my country, I love to give 110 per cent, I love playing for my Country every time I get called up, if I am injured, I will put myself to the team managers, to the NFF. I think people should realize that like every other footballer, I get injured sometimes. I always want to play for my Country ,and with the relationship going on between my Club Chelsea anytime they want me to play I am there.
==THE NIGERIAN MEDIA AND I
I am not angry at the Media when they sometimes write what’s wrong, its like they are just doing their job, they want to sell their papers. I am not saying Mikel is anything or so but when people see Mikel on the front pages of the papers, they go and buy it and I think they are making quite a lot of money from that. I love to speak with the press but I love it when things are done properly, I love to speak to the press but I am a busy person as well who has got schedules as well, you can’t just come to me and say Mikel I want to interview you, things are not done that way, if things are done properly, I will respect people, I will do interviews, but if things are not arranged properly, can’t just meet me at the lobby of a hotel, you meet me in the streets and say I want to speak to you, it doesn’t work that way.
==THE NEW SUPER EAGLES
Well, if you look at the present Super Eagles, there’s been quite a lot of changes, I think the players are starting to understand what it means to play for your Country because I play with the biggest players in the World and I know they look forward to playing for their Country whenever its time for international matches they want to go back and play for their Country, they want to serve their Country, then it makes me feel the same as well, it makes me want to play for my Country
==PLAYING AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED
Really it’s not what people think that I just get more pumped up against Manchester United, it’s just the way the game is played here, I love playing against the big clubs, I love playing against Arsenal, Man United, Liverpool. Big Games are where people want to see where your level is, these are the games where you really need to step up your game and prove you can play, and the Manchester games? People have mentioned it to me because of what happened, because of the whole controversy about who I was going to sign for at the beginning of my career in England, well I won’t deny it, but it’s to me one of the big games.
==ACHIEVING CENTURY CHELSEA APPEARANCES
I think they told me when I was stepping out to go to the pitch before the start of the game, someone touched me and said, Mikel this is your 100th Chelsea game and I was quite pleased it happened. In life people talk about these things, in England I love my fans here, I love the Chelsea fans in Nigeria, in life I just think some people are fortunate, I don’t know if you know this thing called Luck, you are lucky in life you know, when I was growing up, I knew things like these will happen but I never knew my Career was going to come this quick, and coming this quick, it has taken a lot to maintain that level. Right people, I have got the right people beside me, my agent, my family, I think they are really helping me a lot to put my feet on the ground and make sense and reality of the whole situation, that I stay focused and cope with it and day in day out, to maintain it.
==BOND BETWEEN JOHN OLA SHITTU AND I
John Shittu have played a big part in my life, apart from football, when you are in a working relationship with someone and it gets to a point when it’s no longer just only a working relationship anymore, but goes beyond that, like a big brother to me, when I go wrong, he corrects me, when I want to do something he saws don’t do that, this is good for you, I listen to him quite a lot, I think we have a very very good relationship going, it’s not just about the business alone, I think its about me and him now you know, we understand each other, we go out together, we have fun together, its not about business anymore, it’s about someone who loves you, who cares about you, want to see the best for you. When you are aged 18 and were in the situation that I was then during the Chelsea-Manchester crisis, there were rumors here and there, I was sitting down for a year, thinking, what am I going to do. He was the one who was there, I got phone calls from people, from my family saying go to Manchester United etc, but I think he was the one who stood by his words and said, he asked me what I wanted and promised to get it for me. He told me, be specific and tell me what you want, you want to go to Manchester United, I will take you there tomorrow and I said NO, he asked you want to go to Chelsea I take you there and he promised and delivered, you know right now I am happy where I am and all is going well.
==LOVE FOR WINNING TITLES
I love winning Titles, since I have been at Chelsea, you know the first thing I was told was to be a winner, to always win, whenever I lose a game and my friends see me they know I am always very unhappy for days, I feel so sad whenever I lose a game, it’s not good for me. i always want to win, I love winning titles, I think the Uefa Champions League, the African Cup of Nations, the FA Cup, the EPL, they are titles there are titles I have not won yet but must win including the World Cup, to do all I can to win them and put them in my locker room and even when I win them I am not going to lose the desire to achieve more, its all about developing that winning mentality, I want to continue winning.
SUBSTITUTION BLUES
I know my face is not the best to look at when I am substituted but the managers are sometimes a bit cautious, a bit scared when I get a yellow card then they want to take me out but I love playing the game,, so you get mad when you are substituted, especially when you are playing very well, especially when you are in the game and your team is not winning yet, I want to be in the team when the team is up or when my team is winning. I always want to be part of the winning side, so when whenever I am substituted I feel bad about it, I understand as well the manager’s point of view, I know too there’s going to be the next game and it shows how important you are in the team.
==MARRIAGE DILEMMA
I know, normal people don’t go through what I am going through now when it concerns finding a Wife to marry, normal people don’t at all. Believe me it’s so so difficult, very difficult, it’s so so difficult you just have to leave it to God. To find someone who truly loves you, there might be someone who really loves me truly for who I am but I may not be aware but maybe you don’t know but you may think she’s one of them people that loves you for who you are or what you have, because of your money, but maybe she’s there for you, you never know, you get so confused, now I have decided I will just leave it to God to decide who I get married to.
RUMORS OF FIVE BENTLEY S
One thing is I really don’t go into the Nigerian Papers, not like I don’t care but he called me, my Agent called me, he was in Nigeria and he said to me there’s rumors that I have Bentley s, I am like what, five Bentley s, what am I going to do with Five Bentley s, they are all same Cars Five Bentley s, I might have five different colors them. I think it boils down to when you are doing really well, when things are going well for you, you become what people don’t expect you to become, what people don’t expect you to achieve, you know there’s always going to be rumors flying here and there., it all depends on how well you manage yourself though, you curtail yourself from things that are not right for you, I want to play this game for a very long time, I love Chelsea, I will like to finish my Career here at Chelsea but it depends on what happens, who comes and goes, that’s football, we shall see what the future holds.
JOHN MIKEL OBI CAREER STATISTICS
==CHELSEA DEBUT: VS LEVSKI SOFIA SEPTEMBER 12, 2006 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
==FIRST GOAL FOR CHELSEA: VS MACCLESFIELD TOWN JANUARY 6, 2007 FA CUP
==RED CARDS; 4
==INTERNATIONAL DEBUT:
AUGUST 17, 2005 1-0 VS LIBYA SECOND HALF SUB, CAME ON AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR CHRISTIAN OBODO IN A FRIENDLY GAME IN TRIPOLI
INTERNATIONAL GOALS:
1----JANUARY 27, 2006 AFCON PORT SAID EGYPT 2-0 VE ZIMBABWE
2----JANUARY 29, 2008 1-0 VS BENIN AFCON
3---OCTOBER 13,20124-0 VS LIBERIA AFCON QUALIFIER
==CLUB STATISTICS
----LYN OSLO: 2004-2005: 6 APPEARANCES, 1 GOAL
---CHELSEA FC:2006---TILL DATE
---LEAGUE:TOTAL 178 GAMES AND ONE GOAL
---FA CUP 24 GAMES AND TWO GOALS
-----INTERNATIONAL:38 GAMES AND 3 GOALS
HONOURS:
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:(1) 2009-10
FA CUP: (4) 2006-07
2008-09
2009-10
2011-12
LEAGUE CUP: (1) 2006-07
FA COMMUNITY SHIELD:(1)2009
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: (2011-12)
AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS:(1) 2013
U-20 WORLD CUP SILVER FOOTBALL 2005
AFRICAN YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2005, 2006
CHELSEA YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2007, 2008
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