Obafemi Martins speaks on retirement

By Esther Egbe

The nomadic Nigeria striker won’t be hanging boots anytime soon after reaffirming his commitment to the Shanghai outfit and the football game, National Daily learnt.

Shanghai Shenhua forward Obafemi Martins told National Daily that he is not ready for retirement as his passion for football still remains the same.

The 2003 and 2004 Caf Most Promising Talent of the Year has enjoyed a goal-laden career across top leagues in the world including the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Major League Soccer.

Notable for his effort that helped Birmingham City lift the English League Cup in 2011, Martins wrote his name into Shanghai Shenhua’s folklore after his goal sealed their fourth Chinese FA Cup title with a 3-3 aggregate win over Shanghai SIPG FC last season.

And the forward who turns 34 in October has revealed that he is still enjoying his time with the Chinese Super League outfit whom he joined from Seattle Sounders in February 2016.

“Although I’m 33, I feel my physical condition is good. I have been in so many countries and the only thing that never changes is my passion for football,” Martins told the Asian Football Confederation website.

“This is my third season at Shanghai Shenhua and I hope I can help the team get some good results with my efforts.

“I love Shanghai very much. It is an international city and people are friendly. You can find food from all over the world and I have made new friends here. I enjoy my life in Shanghai.”