.Hits Chelsea Wednesday
.Ready
to fight for Blues’ shirt
By
Akeem Lawal
NIGERIA Under-23 national team captain, Mikel Obi is keen
to participate at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after helping the Dream Team VI to
win a bronze medal at the just concluded 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
Nigeria held off a late Honduras fightback to win 3-2 in
the bronze medal on Saturday at Mineirao Stadium. The victory made sure of
Nigeria's third Olympic medal in men's football after winning gold at the 1996
Atlanta Games, while they claimed silver in 2008 after a final defeat to
Argentina.
Mikel who is one of the three overage players to Rio has
spent the last two-and-a-half weeks with his national U-23 team in Brazil but
upon his return to Stamford Bridge, the long-term Blues midfielder has admitted
that he is determined to break back into the first team under the club's new
manager, Antonio Conte when he returns to the club on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old said in his Evening Standard column: 'This
experience has given me the hunger to do it again at the Olympics in Tokyo in
2020. I will be only 33 then and my game will still be at a high level.'
'I enjoyed every minute of being in Brazil and I have
been talking to the other guys about playing in another Olympics. I'm already
looking forward to it and the countdown is on!
'I might take the medal to the Chelsea training ground to
show to the other players - I hope I don't make them jealous though!
It's also provided me with a nice lift as I return to
Chelsea. I will go back to see the manager [Antonio Conte] and see what his
plans are for me. I want to get back into training and prove myself. I want to
play and help the team to win games.
"I know it will be difficult because I have missed
most of pre-season and the coach has a new way of playing. But it is a positive
thing for me that I have been playing well in Brazil and I'm in good shape.
"I will need a few days off first because this
tournament has been so draining. I arrive back in London on Wednesday morning
and the game against Burnley on Saturday will come too early to feature
in."
‘The plan is to
have a little break, which is why the timing couldn't be better as the season
stops for two weeks for international fixtures after the Burnley game anyway”.
Mikel made 33 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions
last season.
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