Former Chelsea and Super Eagles Midfielder, John Mikel Obi has announced his retirement from football via his Instagram account on Tuesday, 27 September, 2022.
Mikel John Obi, born on 22 April 1987, is a Nigerian professional footballer who formally played as a defensive midfielder.
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.
