Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi has urged Nigerian born players in Europe and elsewhere to make the bold move of playing for the Super Eagles, rather than wait till they are at their prime.
Mikel who captained the Flying Eagles, U-23 and the Super Eagles speaking during chat on his podcast ‘ObiOne,’ said it was wrong move for talented Nigerian-born players to wait for a call from England, Germany, Spain and others to be included in their national team and they don’t get the call.
“They say they want to play for England or France or whatever it is, and then they wait. They keep waiting and keep waiting,” said Mikel who spent 12 seasons in Chelsea winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and the Europa Cup.
“When they get to 25 or 26 and they don’t get a call up from England, then they call Nigeria. We shouldn’t be treated like second options; we are not second options.
“If you decide you want to play for England, stick to it. Sit and wait. If you don’t get a call-up, you don’t get a call-up. But don’t wait until you’re 29 or 30 and then you call the Nigerian FA to tell them you’re ready to play for them. F*ck off mate.”
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