Mikel Obi reveals the player who made Jose Mourinho change his position

Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has revealed that the reason José Mourinho forced him to transition into a defensive midfielder was due to the creative presence of Joe Cole.

The Super Eagles legend discussed his positional swap during a recent episode of the Rest is Football podcast, where Cole featured as a fellow guest.

Mikel joined the London club in 2006 with ambitions of playing as a creative playmaker, but Mourinho adjusted his role to accommodate the England international.

Mikel arrived at Stamford Bridge following a breakout performance as an attacking midfielder at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.

He guided the Nigerian youth side to the final and secured the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player, finishing just behind Argentina forward Lionel Messi.

"Obviously, I started from the under-17s. Under-20s, I was the number 10," Mikel explained on the podcast.

"Then I signed for Chelsea. Then I thought, 'Okay, I'm going to just walk in there and be myself, be the number 10 that I say I am.'"

However, Mourinho immediately informed the young Nigerian that the attacking midfield role was already occupied by Cole.

"Mourinho, he called me and said, 'No, you're not playing as a number 10. This guy right here is playing that position,'" Mikel recalled.

At the time of Mikel's arrival in 2006, Cole had firmly established himself as Chelsea's primary creative force.

The winger was instrumental in securing back-to-back Premier League titles for the Blues during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 campaigns.

Cole ultimately amassed 282 appearances and 39 goals across all competitions during his seven-year spell at Chelsea from 2003 to 2010.

His performance level when fit justified Mourinho's decision to retain him in the advanced role while instructing Mikel to focus on ball retention deeper in midfield.

Mikel admitted that the Portuguese manager would regularly reprimand him during matches if he attempted to showcase his dribbling abilities.

"Every time we played a game, second half, Mourinho walks in... he's like, 'Pass that f***ing ball! Don't try to dribble everybody... Just pass the ball!'" Mikel added.

The positional adjustment proved to be a masterstroke for both the club and the player. Mikel fully embraced his new role as a holding midfielder, going on to make 372 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea between 2006 and 2017.

He anchored the midfield during an immensely successful era, winning two Premier League titles in 2009/10 and 2014/15, alongside four FA Cups.

Crucially, Mikel's defensive discipline was vital during Chelsea's historic continental triumphs, including the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League and the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League.

While Mikel accepted his rigid defensive duties at club level, he continued to operate as a playmaker for the Nigerian national team, ultimately orchestrating their triumphant 2013 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.