Nigeria head coach Samson Siasia has expressed concern that Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has lost the creativity that catapulted him to the world stage six years ago in Holland during the Fifa Under-20 World Championships.

The 43-year-old Nigerian coach told SuperSport.com that the former FC Lyn_Oslo midfielder is no longer the same player he handled to the 2005 edition of the Fifa U20 World Championships when the Nigerian U20s finished in second place behind their Argentine counterparts.

Siasia, who has coached the Nigerian U20 and Under-23s, said he is ready to talk to the 23-year-old midfielder in order to help him rediscover that creative flash that saw two English Premier League clubs, Chelsea and Manchester United, battle for his signature before the former got him into their fold.

But Siasia believes that the situation is not all gloom, as he acknowledged that the defensive ability of the former Plateau United man has improved a great deal.
“Sincerely Mikel is not the same player that I knew in 2005 when we finished second behind Argentina in the U20 World Cup.

He has lost his creative spark but defensively he is a better player. But as coach of the national team I will do everything in my disposal to help him get back to his creative best.

“Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying that he is no longer a good player. But what I am saying is that there is the need to see Mikel get to the goal area of the opponents and shoot more.

Also I will like to see him score a couple of goals and that will make him an all_round player defensively and offensively,” said the Nigerian manager.

Siasia also told SuperSport.com that Mikel remains part of the rebuilding process of the Nigerian men’s national team, as he is young and has years ahead of him in his career.