Nigerian football icon, John Obi Mikel is set to bring his glittering 20-year career to an end by announcing his retirement.
The former Super Eagles captain Obi Mikel announced his retirement from football at 35 on Tuesday.
Chelsea icon John Obi Mikel had in 2019 retired from international football at the age of 32.
The central midfielder debuted for the Super Eagles in 2005 after starring for the U17 and U20 sides, and featured in two World Cups 2014 and 2018, and five Africa Cup of Nations most recently in Egypt.
Mikel was an influential member of the Super Eagles squad that won the 2013 AFCON and also won bronze with the Dream Team VI at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Explaining his decision to retire, the former Chelsea star says he wants to give a chance to up-and-coming players.
The Chelsea FC hero who announced the decision on his social media accounts on Tuesday said that his professional football career had come to an end.
“There is a saying that ‘all good things must come to an end’, and for my professional football career, that day is today.
“I look back at the past 20 years of my career, and I must say that I am very satisfied with all that I was able to achieve and more importantly the human it has helped shape.
“All of this would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, managers, clubs, coaches, teammates and most importantly my ever-loyal fans.
“You supported me through my highs and lows, even on days that I did not live up to your expectations. I say a big thank you.
“I will also like to encourage everyone who I may have inspired one way or the other in the course of my career to never give up on their dreams, for every time you think about quitting, remind yourself why you started.
“This is not goodbye, it’s the start of another journey, another chapter of my life. I look forward to what the future holds and I hope you will walk with me. Thank you,” he wrote.
