Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel will no longer count as a foreigner on the Chelsea roster, as he was issued a British Passport last week. <br /><br />The defensive midfielder has played nonstop in the English Premier League in the last eight years.<br /><br /> <div> &ldquo;Mikel was issued a British passport last week, and he is very happy to be in the possession of the passport,&rdquo; a representative of the Super Eagles star told SL10.ng.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> &ldquo;That&rsquo;s very good news because he will no longer be counted as a foreign player in the Chelsea squad.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> &ldquo;All the obstacles that would have prevented him playing in Europe have been eliminated, especially in Italy.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> &ldquo;Mikel is not leaving Chelsea in the January transfer window. He will only think about his future at the end of this season.&rdquo;</div><br />27 - year - old Mikel joined Chelsea from Lyn Oslo of Norway in 2006.<br /><br /><br />