Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has said goodbye to club football, saying he is satisfied with the man the game has helped to create. Mikel who spent 11 seasons with Chelsea FC, winning the Champions League, Europa League, two Premier League titles and three FA Cups penned an emotional farewell to his fans Tuesday on his Instagram page saying: “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.”
Mikel began his club career with Plateau United of Jos. At 17, he moved to Lyn Oslo of Norway, in 2006 he made a controversial move to Chelsea, having previously signed for Manchester United. He went on to play 249 games and scored one goal for the Blues. He moved to China at the end of his Chelsea career and then later to Europe where he played for Middlesbourgh, Trabzonspor of Turkey, Stoke City and finally Kuwait SC. It was his last bus stop, he has been clubless for the last 10 months.
Mikel won the 2013 African Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles, playing 91 games and scoring six times. He also captained the Nigeria U23 to the 2016 Olympics, where they won a bronze, Nigeria’s only medal of the games. He also won silver in the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The team lost to a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina.
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