After 20 spectacular years, Mike Obi, ex-Super Eagles Captain on Tuesday took to his Instagram page to officially announce his retirement from professional football.
The 35-year-old former Chelsea midfielder thanked everyone who had in one way or another contributed to his successful football career.
“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.”
Mikel is one of the most decorated footballers in Africa, winning several awards for Nigeria and his clubs.
Having gone from playing with Plateau United, a local club in Nigeria, he moved to Lyn, a Norwegian club at age 17, then transferred to Chelsea in 2006 and stayed with the club for 11 good years before moving on to China, Middlesbrough, Stoke City and ended with Kuwait SC in 2021.
The Super Eagles Skipper went on to salute his family, both immediate, extended and football family.
He said: “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 when 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.”
Among those to wish him well were the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Super Eagles and his longest-playing club, Chelsea.
The NFF tweeted: “Thank you for the memories and good luck, @Mikel_john_obi”
Super Eagles tweeted: “Thank you Skippo!!! All the best. #MikelThe Best”
While Chelsea FC thanked him with: “Enjoy your retirement, @Mikel_john_obi! Thank you for the memories.”
In between his 14-year international (2005 and 2019), Mikel played 91 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals and winning an AFCON 2013 title with the Super Eagles of Nigeria as his biggest feat with the national team.
