A Chelsea legend has recalled how the London club's former owner Roman Abramovich once offered to help get his father, who had just been kidnapped, back to safety.
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John Obi Mikel spent just over a decade at Stamford Bridge, during the club's most successful period.
The Blues were under the ownership of Russian billionaire Abramovich when Mikel arrived in west London in 2006 and while he was likely well looked after during his time in the English capital, it is perhaps after he left that the club truly showed their support for the ex-midfielder.
Prior to Nigeria taking on Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mikel, then of TJ Teda in China, received a call that his father had been kidnapped for a second time.
"He was kidnapped for the first time and I spoke to the kidnappers and they demanded lots of money from me, which I did eventually pay before my dad got released," the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner told talkSPORT.
"But the second time happened while I was playing for my country and I got this phone call from my brother saying that dad has been kidnapped again for the second time.
“But we're about to go into the biggest game of our lives. We're about to play against Lionel Messi and Argentina."
During the ordeal, however, the former Chelsea owner surprisingly offered "to send people" to find his former player's father.
"Chelsea were very supportive. I remember Roman [Abramovich] saying: 'Do you want me to send people over? Because I know if I send people over, I can get your dad out.'
"I was like: 'How are you going to do this?'
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"He said: 'Don't worry about that. Just let me, if you want that option, I can do it.'"
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