Villas-Boas Praises Mikel’s Mental Strength

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has praised the mental strength of his midfielder John Mikel Obi after he played against Stoke City just hours after he heard his father had been kidnapped in Nigeria.

Despite enduring a terrible ordeal, Mikel has been determined to carry on playing whilst still appealing for the safe return of his father.

Speaking to reporters, Villas-Boas said: “I wouldn’t like to go into what I said to him, it’s a pretty sensitive situation and pretty traumatic.

“I just have to go with the word my player gives to me and, for the game against Stoke, Mikel felt well to play. Hopefully he can get this thing solved as soon as possible – that’s what we hope for.

“People go through big disappointments and personal things in their lives and can still be able to play because they feel well on the pitch to avoid the things that are running in their personal lives and they can focus on different things.

“Mikel made himself available for training and selection, so I will just judge it like that. But he played well against Stoke, like the rest of the team.

“It can be [that] players react to things in different ways. Some players want straight away to go back to their families. Others prefer to be like this and live on day by day, not because they think they are distanced from where it is happening, but it’s their choice.”

Mikel also played at the weekend when, Chelsea faced West Brom at the Stamford Bridge. He helped the Blues keep their perfect start to the campaign under new manager Villas-Boas after coming from behind to beat the Baggies 2-1.