John Obi Mikel has lifted the lid on the highly successful Chelsea team he was an instrumental part of, admitting the wild side of club captain John Terry was often crucial in order to make players win.

Nigerian powerhouse Mikel won two Premier League titles with the Blues during a trophy-laden period in English football, in which he also lifted three FA Cups, the Europa League and Champions League titles.

Chelsea's dominant status has slipped somewhat since, but Mikel has admitted the lengths the team had to go to were by definition extreme.

John Obi Mikel played in a hugely successful Chelsea side, but reveals it wasn't always friendly

Former captain John Terry was undoubtedly in charge and made it known, says Mikel

'We were just so hungry. Did we take it a bit too far? Sometimes, yes, we had to,' the veteran midfielder said in a recent interview with the Sun.

'There were people fighting, grabbing round the neck, JT smashing the table and drinks. If we were losing a game you did not want to be in the dressing room.

'The manager would speak and then leave it to JT to carry on. He smashes the whole place up and then we go back out and get the win.

Together Mikel and Terry won a host of silverware as Chelsea dominated home and away

The veteran midfielder has ventured back into English football with Middlesbrough

'What he said, we followed. What he did, we followed. We looked at him for a reaction and we followed.

'No matter what manager came in, you had to know the figurehead of the club was John Terry.'

After departing Chelsea for China, Mikel could not resist returning English football by signing a short-term deal with promotion-chasing Middlesbrough.

Mikel, now 31, is set to form the defensive base for the Boro midfield for the remainder of the campaign where, at present, they sit in fifth place in the division on 50 points.