Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has announced his retirement from football at 35.
He made this know via his social media accounts on Tuesday, September 27th.
“There is a saying that “all good things must come to an end”, and for my professional football career, that day is today,” Obi said in a statement.
He further said, “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.”
The footballer enjoyed resounding success during his 11-year career at west London. He achieved a total of six goals and 13 assists in 372 appearances.
He also won two Premier League titles, three FA Cup trophies, the 2007 League Cup and the 2013 Europa League.
Mikel was also part of the Chelsea team that won the Champions League trophy for the first time in 2012.
Internationally, Mikel also enjoyed success as he won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 with Nigeria.
