First a goal, then:

“Shut up!” Chelsea kicker attacks icon

Nicolas Jackson has responded to John Obi Mikel's criticism with a goal and a clear message.

(Bild: AFP/APA/Oli SCARFF)

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has launched a fierce attack on club icon John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian had recently complained about the attacking department at his former club and now received a response from Jackson: "Shut up, don't talk shit". 

Jackson scored an early goal in the game against Wolverhampton last weekend. In the end, Chelsea ran out clear 6-2 winners and the Senegalese then had a message ready on Instagram: "Shut up, don't talk shit," said the striker.

It is now also clear to whom the message was addressed: club icon John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian, himself in the service of the Blues for eleven years, had recently complained about the quality in attack: "Jackson, yes, he does a bit here and there, but we need a top striker like back then. Didier Drogba. We knew that if we gave him two or three chances, he would score." 

Jackson defends himself
Words that obviously struck a chord with Jackson. The 23-year-old finally provided the answer on the pitch. However, the discussions about him are unlikely to stop any time soon. The Senegalese has been a Chelsea player since 2023 and has scored 18 goals in 46 games since then.

Nevertheless, he has been heavily criticized time and again. In December, the striker commented on the issue and emphasized: "It's okay. It's not what I imagined, even though it's my first season. So I'm happy, even if everyone is talking shit. I'm very happy and I don't care what people say." Let's see if he can respond to the criticism with more goals. 

Mikel, meanwhile, has responded to the statements and clarified that he never said Jackson was a bad player, but: "It's about his finishing qualities. He needs more experience and an experienced striker alongside him could definitely help him."