Former captain of the Nigerian Super Eagles and Chelsea legend John Mikel Obi has officially announced his retirement from football.
Gatekeepers News reports that Mikel Obi made the disclosure on his Instagram page.
‘There is a saying that “all good things must come to an end”, and for my professional football career, that day is today,’ the post reads.
‘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, team-mates 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.’
Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before joining Norwegian club Lyn at the age of 17 in 2004.
In 2006, he made a controversial transfer to English club Chelsea after Manchester United claimed they had already signed him.
He stayed with Chelsea for 11 years, before moving to China with Tianjin TEDA in 2017.
After two years in China, he returned to England on a short-term deal with Middlesbrough, before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in July 2019.
Mikel moved back to England in August 2020 joining Stoke City. In a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, he played 91 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals.
The Nigerian also played a key role as the Blues secured a first Champions League trophy in 2012.
Having given the Blues over a decade of service after signing as a fresh-faced 19 year-old, the midfielder lifted every major honour, which included two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Europa League, among others.
He clocked up a mammoth 372 appearances in a Chelsea shirt.
Mikel also turned out in England in recent years for Middlesbrough and Stoke City in the Championship.
