Chelsea's new chief scout Michael Emenalo admits he wants to succeed in part for coach Avram Grant.

"I have always kept in touch with him," Emenalo told Chelsea's website. "When I retired he offered me the opportunity to be his assistant at Maccabi Haifa, which at the time wasn't possible for personal reasons, but we stayed in touch and enjoyed talking about football.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me also, not only to prove myself, but to give back to him and be successful here. I look around and see these guys who a few years ago I would have played against. It's a fantastic club and family, and I'm very happy to be a part of it."

Hailing from Nigeria, the Chelsea player who may know the most about the new chief scout is his compatriot John Mikel Obi, who has been recognised as a talent by Emenalo for some time.

"I have known John since he was 15 or 16, and he was the emerging talent in Nigerian football," he recalls. "He has gone on to prove everything we thought he was going to be, and there's still a lot more in the tank. He can do so much more, but so far so good, the boy has been brilliant."