Fmr Super Eagles Captain, Mikel Obi retires from professional football at 35

Nigerian professional footballer, Mikel Obi, former Super Eagles captain, on Tuesday announced his retirement from football. He noted that all good things will always come to an end. He thanked his fans, relations, and friends for the support they gave to him during his career in his 20 years in the game.

Mikel in his broadcast, declared; “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.

“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.”

He urged those who may have been inspired by his footballing exploits “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 Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) wished Mikel well on his retirement. The NFF wrote on its Twitter handle:   “Thank you for the memories and good luck, @mikel_john_obi” ,

Chelsea, Premier League team, wished Mikel happy retirement. Chelsea sharing Mikel’s Instagram announcement post, wrote on their website.: “The Nigerian, who played a key role as the Blues secured a first Champions League trophy in 2012, made the announcement on his personal Instagram account having most recently been with Kuwait SC.

“Having given the Blues over a decade of service after signing as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, the midfielder lifted every major honour, which included two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Europa League, among others. He clocked up a mammoth 372 appearances in a Chelsea shirt.”