playJohn Mikel Obi has signed for Chinese side Tianjin TEDA (Twitter/Tianjin TEDA)
John Terry has sparked a huge debate on Twitterand among football enthusiast by refereeing toJohn Mikel Obi as a Chelsea legend.
Following Mikel Obi’s move to Chinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA, Terry took to hisInstagram to share a message for his former teammate where he called him a legend.
playJohn Mikel Obi has signed for Chinese side Tianjin TEDA (Twitter/Tianjin TEDA)
“I would like to wish this LEGEND of a player and man all the very best with his move to China,” the Chelsea captain wrote.
playTerry calls Mikel Obi a Chelsea legend in an Instagram post (Instagram/John Terry )
“Gutted to see you go "Old Boy" gonna miss you both on and off the pitch,so many great memories together,” the veteran defender added with 11 cup images to represent the number of trophies they won together.
The word ‘legend’ he used for Mikel seems to have upset a lot of people who think the 29-year-old midfielder does not deserve that title.
But they are wrong.
Mikel Obi represents everything the word ‘legend’ means in the football world.
Let’s go back to the controversial circumstances he joined Chelsea, making a u-turn to sign for the London club after agreeing on a move to rivalsManchester United.
playJohn Mikel Obi joined Chelsea after a protracted dispute with Manchester United (Lyn Oslo)
playA copy of the contract that United signed to buy John Mikel Obi (Man Utd via Getty Images)
In his first season, Mikel was trusted by Jose Mourinho who converted him into a very reliable defensive midfielder.
playMikel in action during a Champions League game against Levski Sofia for Chelsea in 2006 (Getty Images)
The Nigerian spent 10 years, making 374 appearances for them and winning 11 trophies including two Premier League titles and aChampions League. He was eventually named Chelsea’s Young Player of that season winning the Carling Cup and the FA Cup.
playJohn Mikel Obi won Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 (Getty Images)
After Mourinho’s exit, Mikel continued to impress under Guus Hiddink with whom he won another FA Cup in 2009.
The following season under Carlo Ancelotti, he made 25 appearances as he won his first Premier League title with Chelsea.
His finest moment in the club came in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, against Bayern Munich where he delivered his best performance to help Chelsea win their first Champions League title.
playMikel Obi in action against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final (AFP/Getty Images)
While Didier Drogba and Petr Cech's heroics made headlines, a critical look at the game revealed that Mikel was Chelsea’s best player of that glorious night.
In total, Mikel won 11 trophies at Chelsea, two Premier League titles (2009-10, 2014-15) four FA Cup trophies (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12) two League Cup titles (2006-07, 2014-15) a Champions League title (2011-12), Europa League; (2012-13) and Community Shield (2009).
Mikel didn’t just win these trophies as a squad player, he played huge parts in almost all of them.
playJohn Mikel Obi covers Chelsea magazine (Chelsea FC)
A week before that 2012 Champions League final in Munich, Mikel played the full 90 minutes as Chelsea beat Liverpool to lift the FA Cup final.
For that season’s Champions League campaign, he was only one of three players to play every minute from the quarter-final stage where Chelsea had to beat the likes of Benfica,Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
playJohn Mikel Obi impressed for Chelsea on their way to the 2012 Champions League title (AFP/Getty Images)
Yes, he scored just six goals in his 374 appearances for Chelsea, but Mikel was that silent force throughout Chelsea’s most successful decade of their history.
This man played for Chelsea while his father was still in in the hands of kidnappers in Nigeria. He did not score the winning goals, he didn’t make those hard crunching last minute tackles, but Mikel fought and bled for Chelsea as they won all club trophies.
In his 374 appearances for Chelsea were some of the club’s most memorable moments in the club’s entire history.
And people say this man is not a Chelsea legend?
playMikel Obi played a part in some of Chelsea's finest moments in their history (AFP/Getty Images)
Some when defeated in this argument, then agrees he is a Chelsea legend only because of the status of the club.
That’s wrong.
Mikel will be considered a legend of any club in the word with the same record he has at Chelsea.
Let’s give this man his credit as he moves to China to grab the last pay of his unheralded yet great football career.
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