Super Eagles: Chelsea’s most capped international stars – Obi Mikel 8th, Drogba 6th, Terry 4th

Only five players in the history of Chelsea have gone on to play for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Afrik-Foot reports.

However, former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel remains the Nigerian who made the biggest mark both for the Blues and on the international stage.

Mikel, who played for the Stamford Bridge giants between 2006 and 2017, is the highest-ranked Nigerian on the club’s list of most capped international players. He sits eighth after winning 73 senior caps for Nigeria while wearing the Chelsea shirt. During that period, he scored four goals and became one of the country’s most important midfielders.

Although Chelsea mainly used him as a defensive midfielder, Mikel often played in a more advanced role for the Super Eagles. His greatest international success came in 2013 when he helped Nigeria win the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. Later that year, he finished second in the African Footballer of the Year award before leading Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics as captain of the overage squad.

Former Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel. Copyright: xDanxWeirxIMAGO

Mikel is also Chelsea’s most successful Nigerian player. Across 372 appearances, he won two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League and four FA Cups.

The other Nigerian internationals to play for the Londoners include Celestine Babayaro, the club’s first Nigerian player, Victor Moses, who starred in Antonio Conte’s 2016-17 Premier League-winning team, Ola Aina, a Chelsea academy graduate who made six senior appearances, and Kenneth Omeruo, who spent seven years under contract but never featured in a competitive first-team match because of several loan spells.

Lampard leads Chelsea’s all-time international rankings

While Mikel is Nigeria’s highest representative, Chelsea’s overall list is led by club legend Frank Lampard. The former midfielder earned 104 England caps while playing for the Blues, scoring 29 international goals and featuring in several World Cups and European Championships.

John Obi Mikel and John Terry. Photo by IMAGO

Former goalkeeper Petr Cech ranks second with 91 caps for the Czech Republic during his Chelsea career, while Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic is third with 83 appearances for his country.

England captain John Terry occupies fourth place after winning all 78 of his England caps as a Chelsea player. Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard is fifth with 74 caps during his time at Stamford Bridge, the same number recorded by Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba, who sits sixth because of the club’s ranking criteria. Drogba scored an outstanding 46 international goals while representing Chelsea, the highest total by any Blues player for his national team.

France World Cup winner Marcel Desailly is seventh with 74 caps, just ahead of Mikel in eighth. Brazil winger Willian follows in ninth place with 68 caps and nine goals, while Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois completes the top 10 after collecting 65 caps during his Chelsea career from 2011 to 2018.

Imhonlamhen" data-src="">

Imhonlamhen

Sports Writer

• Football
• Odds
• Boxing
• Responsible Gambling

Eronmhonsele Imhonlamhen is a sports writer covering Nigeria, with 10+ years in sports media and a Reuters Digital Journalism certification. A bettor for over 15 years, he specialises in football odds and responsible gambling, and has used operators including Bet9ja, SportyBet, Nairabet and BetKing.