Mikel: Roberto Di Matteo restored my confidence

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel hailed Roberto Di Matteo for restoring his confidence after his days looked numbered under former manager Andre Villas-Boas.

The Nigerian was only a bit part player under the Portuguese boss but Di Matteo restored him to the side.

“When he took over, he had a word with me and said he knows how good I am, I am just maybe lacking a bit of confidence,” Mikel said. “And he gave it back to me.

“I would like to see him get the job.

“But, at the end of the day, the club will make the right decision.”

Mikel also revealed that he played some mind games with Arjen Robben before his penalty miss in the Blues’ Champions League final victory.

“I told him, ‘Petr Cech knows where you are going to kick it’.

“I just told Robben that he is going to miss it. You know, we just do that sometimes as players.”

The midfielder added: “I think when the penalty was missed, we kind of believed that this trophy was going to be ours.”

Owner Roman Abramovich has been looking to win this trophy for nine years and Mikel believes he is a very happy man.

“The owner has made it clear to us that this trophy is the trophy he wants to win,” Mikel added.

“And now that we have done that, I think that he is a very, very happy man.

“We have shown what we can do. And, hopefully, people can stop writing us off.

“I think we have made names for ourselves - we are the first club to win this trophy from London.

“I think it is just fantastic, it is amazing.”