Nigerian Star Mikel Obi announces retirement from Professional Football

Mikel Obi, the Nigerian Football star, has announced his retirement from professional football after a sparkling twenty-year career. 

Mikel Obi, the Nigerian Football star, has announced his retirement from professional football after a sparkling twenty-year career. 

“There is a saying that goes, ‘all good things must come to an end, and for my professional football career, that day is today,” the 35-year-old former football player, who represented Chelsea, said on Tuesday while he announced his retirement.

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Mikel Obi stated, “I look back at the past 20 years of my career, and I must say that I am delighted with all that I was able to achieve and, more importantly, the human it has helped shape.”

According to the former Super Eagles skipper, Mikel Obi his career would not have come this far without support from coaches, family members, fans, and teammates.

He thanked his supporters, stating, “You supported me through my highs and lows, even on the days when I did not live up to your expectations,”

As for the people for whom his footballing exploits were a source of inspiration, Mikel urged them “to never give up on their dreams. He stated that whenever the thought of quitting crosses your mind, 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 for me and hope you will walk with me. Thank you.”

For his last game, he played for Al Kuwait SC, but the club terminated his contract in November 2021 for undisclosed reasons. At that time, Mikel He had one year left on his contract.

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The Nigerian Football star, Mikel Obi broke into stardom following a sterling performance for the West Africans at the 2005 World Youth Championship, where the country lost to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentine team. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star won the tournament’s Golden Ball, while Mikel won the silver boot.

Around that time, Mikel was the subject of a three-way transfer saga involving Manchester United, Chelsea, and Norwegian side Lyn Oslo. He eventually signed for the London club, where he won several laurels, including two league titles, three FA Cups, one Champions League, a League Cup, Community Shield, and a Europa League trophy.

He was also a one-time winner of the Turkish Cup and scored six on the international scene.

In addition to winning the 2013 AFCON,Mikel had 91 caps for Nigeria. He won a bronze medal for the country at the 2016 Olympics. In 2006, 2010, and 2019 editions of the AFCON, Mikel also helped Nigeria claim bronze. 

He also played at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup. Mikel was the captain of the team in the 2018 series.

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