Obi Mikel Lifts The Lid On His Chelsea Exit: I Left Because Of Antonio Conte

John Obi Mikel has opened up about his exit from Chelsea in January 2017, saying he had to leave the club because of Italian manager Antonio Conte.

The Nigeria skipper missed a large part of Chelsea's preseason training ahead of the start of the 2016-2017 campaign as he was with the Dream Team VI at the Olympic Games, and was frozen out of the squad following his return to London.

''Definitely it was the right time [to leave] because when you have a manager who... you have to come in whoever you are - manager or player - there are people who have been there before who made this club what it is today, '' Mikel said to the Sun UK

''Chelsea was nowhere near what it is 10, 15 years ago. There are players that build and build and build, then it’s all about respect.''

The former Chelsea number 12 added : ''When you don’t get that from a manager who comes in and after five minutes decides to make a change you deal with it, you move on.

''My connection with the club has not changed because of the manager or because of a certain person.

''My relationship with the club remains. I am a blue and I want to remain that way for years and years to come.''

Mikel won the Premier League twice, three FA Cups, the Europa League and Champions League before ending his  ten-year association with Chelsea.

Igho Kingsley