After midfielder John Obi Mikel of Nigeria announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 35, a number of Chelsea legends paid the Nigerian the respect due.
The 18-year career of the Nigerian, which he began back in 2004 with Plateau United of his native country, has come to an end. The midfielder was signed by Chelsea from Norway in 2006, and despite the non-legends label that Blues supporters have given to players like Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, and many others, the defensive-minded player still contributed to many victories for the team.
Whether it was his contribution to the 2012 UEFA Champions League championship team or his iconic goal in Paris, Mikel will be remembered for being a cult hero despite not being considered a legend.
Announcing the news on Instagram, the 35-year-old, who made an impressive 372 appearances for Chelsea in SW6, wrote: “There is a saying that “all good things must come to an end,” and for my professional football career, that day is today.”
Among the former teammates paying their tribute is Chelsea great and former captain who took to Twitter to join in the congratulations directed at Mikel. “What a great career my friend, it was a pleasure to play and share the dressing room with you. Love you Georgie Boy,” he said in the post.