Didier Drogba reacts as Mikel announces his retirement, names his best ever performance for Chelsea

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Didier Drogba has posted a heartfelt message to former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel following his retirement.

Mikel, 35, confirmed his retirement yesterday from professional football in a statement.

The defensive midfielder is best recognised for 11 years at Stamford Bridge between 2006-2017, winning 11 major trophies in Chelsea colours.

He’s also made 89 senior international caps for Nigeria, too.

Mikel retirement

Mikel retires an Africa Cup of Nations winner, Champions League winner and two-time Premier League winner.

Drogba, who enjoyed a lot of success alongside him with the Blues, has congratulated him on a stellar career with an Instagram post.

Also, he named his performance in the 2012 Champions League final against Bayern Munich as his best Chelsea display.

Best display from unsung hero

It’s great to hear Mikel showered in praise in the aftermath of his retirement, but at the time he was definitely underrated in the Chelsea set up.

He was part of a historic Blues side that defied the odds to beat Bayern Munich a decade ago.

The deep-lying midfielder operated in his usual role in front of the defence on that night, anchoring and providing the perfect protection to the backline. His 120 minute performance didn’t get the headlines like teammates Drogba and Petr Cech, but his tireless work in the centre of the park deserves so much appreciation.

Chelsea have been lucky enough to enjoy some of the world’s very best midfielders in the past 20 years, which include the likes of Lampard, Claude Makelele, Cesc Fabregas, N’Golo Kante, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien.

Mikel may not be a household name like the aforementioned superstars to play in West London, but you can’t underestimate how good he was at his job. On his day, he could be just as effective as anyone in protecting his defenders and keeping possession.

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