The former Chelsea star has made his mark, and he believes it is time to hang his boots
Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has officially announced his retirement from football after an illustrious seventeen-year career.
Mikel burst onto the scene at the 2005 Under-20 World Cup where he led Nigeria to a second-place finish and was only second-best to the Magisterial Argentine – Lionel Messi in the competition.
The Nigerian midfielder sealed a move to Chelsea in 2006 in an interesting transfer triangle between the Londoners and Manchester United.
Mikel spent eleven years in Chelsea, winning one Champions League, two Premier Leagues, one Europa League, one English Super Cup, two League Cups, and four FA Cup trophies.
After his illustrious time at Chelsea, Mikel had stints at Tianjin Teda, Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City, and Kuwait SC.
Mikel has also enjoyed success with Nigeria. The 35-year-old has 89 caps for the Super Eagles. He played an important role in the Super Eagles’ 2013 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
The former Chelsea man also qualified and played in three World Cups for Nigeria before his international retirement in 2019.
Mikel has been without a club since November last year. Well, he has now decided to officially hang his playing boots, as he penned a heartfelt message 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.
“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.
