EXCLUSIVE

• Published: 9:50, 11 Oct 2025
• Updated: 10:06, 11 Oct 2025

John Obi Mikel spent 11 years at Chelsea, encountering legends both old and new.

Arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2006 and leaving in 2017, the Nigerian finds himself in a unique position to name an all-time Premier League XI.

I won two Premier League titles and only two active players get in my all-time XI - exclusive

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From John Terry and Frank Lampard to Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba, Mikel found himself among legends and became one himselfCredit: Getty

Two-time title-winner Mikel played with and against the nostalgic icons: Hall of Famers who take us back to the height of Barclays.

But by the end of his top-flight career, Mikel was sharing the pitch with today's heroes: superstars who are still playing at the top level.

With so much debate around whether anyone in today's game can hold a candle to the legends of the past, we put it to someone who knows both eras.

And this is what he came up with...

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Mikel explained: "I was going to go Peter Schmeichel, but...