Chelsea fans love Michael Essien. They love him because once upon a time he was probably the best midfielder in the world, and they love him because he seems like a genuinely nice guy and his smile could melt even the coldest of hearts. Chelsea fans also love Jose Mourinho. They love him because he was an amazing manager for us and is a consummate badass.

But when you put the two together, things apparently get... weird.

Asked if he will be first picked tomorrow. [Looking towards Mourinho] Michael Essien says: "Ask my Daddy." Aww.

— Jamie Reid (@JamieRfootball) February 12, 2013

No, that's not the only instance of Essien calling Mourinho -- 20 years his senior -- 'Daddy' during a highly attended and very public press conference ahead of Real Madrid's match against Manchester United at the Santiago Bernabeu. And yes, we already knew that Essien made jokes about Mourinho being his football father. But this borders on the downright creepy.

I'd say that Essien should probably stop doing this in public, but thoughts of him calling Mourinho 'Daddy' in private tend to lead down the road to a mental image I'll never be able to scrub out of my brain (and so I am transmitting to yours).