Former Nigerian international John Mikel Obi has lauded Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez following his remarkable performance for the Blues in recent games.

Enzo netted his third goal in the last four league matches to help the Blues beat Spurs 4-3 in the Premier League on Sunday, December 8.

The Argentine World Cup winner, who joined the Blues from Benfica in January 2023, has struggled to justify his £107 million transfer fee.

However, his performance in recent games has been quite impressive, earning the 23-year-old some praise from the former Chelsea midfielder.

“Sometimes you need that kick up your backside to get you to wake up. His performances weren’t good at the start of the season and everyone was complaining. I think the manager took him out of the firing line to protect him a little bit," Mikel said, as quoted by Chelsea News.

“Now, he’s brought him back into the team. You can see his stats there. Absolutely fantastic.

“He’s been absolutely fantastic since coming back into the team, and he is the captain right now. We need him to lead by example on the pitch.”