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Nicolas Jackson was defended by another former African Chelsea legend, after his outrage against John Mikel Obi.
Ghanaian football legend Michael Essien has defended Nicolas Jackson after the Senegal international disrespectfully hit out at John Obi Mikel.
Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal in the summer of 2023, and while he managed to score 14 goals in the league last season, he missed 24 big chances and significantly underperformed in his expected goals (xG).
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12:42 - 18.09.2024
‘I said what I said’ - Chelsea legend Mikel Obi insists that Jackson needs to improve
Former Super Eagles star John Mikel Obi has stamped his feet on the previous comment he made about Nicolas Jackson.
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15:31 - 18.09.2024
John Obi Mikel hits back at Chelsea striker's 'shut up don't talk s***' comment
John Obi Mikel has responded to Chelsea striker Nicholas Jackson after the Ivorian forward fired at him for criticizing his finishing.
This has earned him criticism from all and sundry, including from Chelsea legend Mikel, who has repeatedly stated that the former Villarreal forward had to improve to become successful at Chelsea.
Jackson fired back
Pulse Sports reported that Jackson, evidently pissed by Mikel's assessment of his performance level, took to social media to hit back at the 2012 Champions League winner.
Posting on his Instagram story, he said, “Shut your mouth, don’t talk sh*t; we are killing ourselves for Africa.”
His flagrant reaction polarised football fans, and while many scolded Jackson for his disrespectful approach to the rebuttal, others have been more understanding of his position. One such is Mikel’s former teammate Essien.
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What Essien said
While the former Real Madrid combative midfielder admitted he would have handled the incident differently, he gave the Senegalese grace, stating that criticism from ex-professionals hurt footballers more.
“We all have our personalities. Some will say it, but for me, I would just ignore it,” Essien told Joy Sports. “Everyone has an opinion, but I think it’s not personal. However, when the criticism comes from ex-players, it hurts the players even more, and then they react.”
Meanwhile, the former Middlesbrough midfielder reacted diplomatically to Jackson's outrage. He reiterated that the 22-year-old had to improve but added that he should shut him up by scoring every week.
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