Mikel's criticism hurts - Essien backs Nicholas Jackson

Former Chelsea midfielder, Michael Essien, has suggested that Nicolas Jackson's strong response to criticism from Mikel Obi was rooted in the fact that it came from a former player of the club.

Last month, Mikel publicly criticised Jackson's performance in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, stating that the Senegal international lacked the quality required for the club.

Jackson responded to the criticism by playing a starring role in Chelsea's victory over Wolves a week later, and he didn't hesitate to hit back at Mikel on social media.

The 23-year-old tagged Mikel in an Instagram story and wrote, "Shut your mouth, don't talk sh*t, we are killing ourselves for Africa."

While Mikel later clarified that he didn't intend to disrespect Jackson, Essien believes that the criticism from a former Chelsea player was particularly hurtful.

"We all have our personalities. Some will say it, but for me, I will just ignore it," the 41-year-old told Joy Sports in an exclusive interview.

"Everyone has an opinion, but I think it's not personal. However, when the criticism comes from ex-players, it hurts the players even more, and then they react."

Since Mikel's criticism, Jackson has continued to impress, scoring two goals and providing one assist in four games across all competitions for Chelsea.

He also scored a brace against Westham as Chelsea defeated the Hammers at the London Stadium.