13 October 2023 , 11:34
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Jose Mourinho could not resist cracking a joke after three of his former Chelsea stars reunited this week, with the Portuguese claiming: "Daddy is missing!"
Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel all played key roles for Mourinho during his first stint as Chelsea boss between 2004 and 2007. In that time, Chelsea won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
And Drogba, Kalou and Mikel all reunited for the Africa Cup of Nations draw this week, with Mikel sharing a photo on Instagram of the trio enjoying a meal together. "Still no statues but watch out!" Mikel captioned the post, before tagging his former team-mates.
Mourinho was among those who replied to Mikel, writing: "Daddy is missing! You rich guys can enjoy holiday time" along with a heart emoji. Mourinho signed Mikel for Chelsea from Norwegian club Lyn, with the move eventually finalised in 2006 after a dispute with Manchester United.
United announced in 2005 that they had agreed a deal to sign Mikel and a press conference was held, with the player pictured in a Red Devils shirt. However, Chelsea hijacked the deal and Mikel later said his move to Stamford Bridge was "the best decision I have ever made".
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He told BBC Sport Africa last year: "I don't regret any decision I made because I enjoyed everything I achieved at Chelsea - it's the best decision I have ever made in my life. I signed a pre-contract for Manchester United when I was 17.
"If you are a kid and you see Sir Alex Ferguson right in front of you with the contract, of course you will be tempted." Mikel also hailed the impact Mourinho had on his career, with the Portuguese successfully converting him from an attacking midfielder to a defensive one.
"Mourinho decided that he wanted me to play the defensive midfield position," Mikel added. "At the end of the day, he is the coach and made the decision.
"We discussed and he felt that because of the big midfield players he had in his squad at Chelsea that I should play the defensive midfield role. [Claude] Makelele was just finishing his career at Chelsea, so Mourinho wanted me to take over from Makelele."
He went on to make 372 appearances for Chelsea, helping the Blues win two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Europa League, four FA Cups and two League Cups.