
Chelsea cult hero John Obi Mikel has admitted his surprise at Frank Lampard’s rapid rise to the Stamford Bridge hot-seat. John Obi Mikel opens up on Frank Lampard’s rapid rise.

The 32-year-old Nigerian, who plays for Turkish side Trabzonspor, admitted he expected John Terry to get the top Chelsea job. Chelsea’s former captain is currently working as an assistant to Dean Smith at Aston Villa. John Obi Mikel opens up on Frank Lampard’s rapid rise.

Mikel has shared the dressing room with the club’s two greatest players for all time in his 11-year stay.

‘I am very happy for Frank, when we were playing at Chelsea we were expecting that John Terry and he would be very good managers. But we were expecting Terry to reach that level first,’ Mikel said, in conversation with 61 Saat.

‘Lampard made a big step. I hope he will be successful at Chelsea for many more years. I also want to see John Terry in similar jobs in the future because he was our leader on the pitch.’

Mikel joked that he could be next: ‘His arrival at Chelsea means the club are caring for their legends. I joked with him after the Chelsea move: I want to be his assistant when I retire.’

Lampard’s Chelsea sit sixth in the league table with 4 wins out of 8 league games. They face Newcastle next on 19th October at Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, Terry’s Aston Villa are 15th in the PL table with just two wins out of 8 games. Villa face Brighton next and can get into top 10 with a win.