Persin wey bring you from Norway to England??- Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel claims Jose Mourinho no longer believed in him

The Nigeria skipper played only five times in the Premier League before Special One's sacking earlier in the campaign

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Swipe: Mikel has hit out at Mourinho

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has taken a swipe at former Blues boss Jose Mourinho - claiming the Special One had 'lost belief' in him.

The Nigeria skipper, speaking while away on international duty with the Super Eagles, played only five times in the Premier League before Mourinho's sacking.

He has since become a mainstay in Guus Hiddink's midfield as Chelsea have risen up the table since the Portuguese was removed from his post.

Mikel believes he is benefiting from Hiddink's faith in him and has hit out at his former manager.

Reuters

Mainstay: Mikel has established himself in Guus Hiddink's midfield

“I think confidence is everything, if a manager doesn’t believe in you, trust me there’s no way you can succeed,” he told Goal.com. “Even if you do things right he would always make sure he finds fault.

“He didn’t have the belief that he had in me before, which is fine because every manager has the player that they have trust in.

“It is a tough business, football, so when a manager comes in he wants to have people he believes in. If he doesn’t believe in you he doesn’t play you. And I think it’s all about a manager giving a player confidence.”