Nigeria-Eligible Lesley Ugochukwu Reveals Influences from Mikel Obi
Nineteen-year-old Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu has revealed the significant influence of Nigerian football icon John Obi Mikel on his career.
Hailing from a Nigerian household in France, Ugochukwu joined Chelsea from Rennes this summer, following in the illustrious footsteps of Mikel, who had a successful career with the London club.
In a recent interview with his club, Ugochukwu expressed admiration for both Didier Drogba and Mikel Obi as his sources of inspiration. Reflecting on Mikel’s impact, he stated, “He was such an important player for Chelsea. And when you come from Nigeria, the names of Jay-Jay Okocha and Obi Mikel always come out.”
As a midfielder, Ugochukwu highlighted the qualities that drew him to Mikel’s style of play, stating, “What Mikel did for Chelsea inspired me a lot. He was calm. He had composure. He had self-confidence. That’s very important for a midfielder, to give confidence to your team. He was strong without the ball, aggressive. That’s the kind of player I like. I want to have great achievements like he did.”
Having started in Chelsea’s recent 4-1 defeat to Newcastle, Ugochukwu is eager for another opportunity and is eyeing the upcoming match against Brighton on Sunday as a chance to make his mark.
