Former Super Eagles of Nigeria captain John Obi-Mikel has announced his retirement from the sport of football at the age of 35.

‘All good things must come to an end’ – After 20 years, Champions League and AFCON winner Mikel Obi say goodbye to the game of football.

Obi Mikel took to Instagram to state his decision to hang up his boots with a photo of his 18-year career’s biggest highlights and a lengthy statement.

The legendary midfielder’s message read:

“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.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mikel Obi (@mikel_john_obi)

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Mikel began his professional career in 2004 with the Norwegian group Lynn.

Only two years later, Chelsea spotted him and added him to their Stamford Bridge roster of A-list players.

During his 11-year stay in west London, the legendary Nigerian player achieved great success, amassing a total of six goals and 13 assists in 372 appearances.

The 35-year-old won the 2007 League Cup, two Premier League championships, three FA Cup trophies, and the 2013 Europa League.

Mikel was also part of the Chelsea squad that won the 2012 Champions League trophy.

But the adaptable midfielder also had great success on the international stage, as evidenced by his 2013 Africa Cup of Nations victory.

Mikel left Chelsea in 2017 for Chinese outfit Tianjin TEDA before his return to England for Middlesbrough only two years later.

He then relocated to Turkey in 2019 and, a year later, won the Turkish Cup with Trabzonspor.

Mikel made one last trip back to England in 2020, playing for Stoke, before leaving for Kuwait SC a year later.

Before he made the decision to call it quits on his career, the Chelsea hero had been a free agent since last November.

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