In August 2020, Mikel Obi moved back to England once again to join Stoke City. verified account or profile. He originally hails from Enugu State, in the eastern part of Nigeria. Look, I wasn't really kidnapped. Karrir. On 24 January 2009, Mikel was charged with drunk driving, just hours before an FA Cup game against Ipswich Town[29] Mikel was not due to play in the game as he was serving a suspension. Mikel John Obi (born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna; 22 April 1987) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.. Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before joining Norwegian club Lyn at the age of 17 in 2004. ", After the radio host mentioned that John Terry said the same thing about Hazard, former midfielder Mikel added: "Oh, he never trained! How did John Obi Mikel sign for Chelsea FC? - Quora [50] In both of these matches, Mikel was an unused substitute for the Blues. [80][81][82], On 4 November 2021, the contract with Kuwait SC was terminated after only four months of joining the team. He also had a brief stint with clubs like Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City, and Kuwait SC before announcing his retirement. John Mikel Obi Net Worth and Salary - BuzzNigeria John Micheal Nchekwube Obinna, famously recognised as John Obi Mikel, is a Nigerian-based professional football defensive midfielder. Mikel Obi was born on the 22 nd of April 1987 in Jos, Nigeria. But one transfer stands out. John Obi Mikel, a Nigerian midfielder, had one of the most shocking and controversial soccer transfers to have ever happened.Mikel played for Lyn, a Norwegian team from 2004-2006 where he played a very important role in the team.So, impressed by his skills, clubs were willing to get him to the Premier League. She is a Writer, Content creator whos interested in Gender Equality, Women Empowerment, Lifestyle and Food. [51] Following the appointment of former Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo as interim head coach, Mikel appeared in 16 of the club's last 20 games and started in 14 of them, and began to play some of his best football for the club. Africa Cup of Nations: 2013; third place: 2006, 2010, 2019, 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship Silver Ball, CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year: 2005, Chelsea Young Player of the Year: 2007, 2008, Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2013, African Footballer of the Year runner-up: 2013. This week, it has been - BellaNaija.com. [21] On 19 July, Chelsea were granted a work permit for Mikel after they completed the 16million signing in June 2006. Learn how your comment data is processed. On 11 May 2005, however, the midfielder went missing during a Norwegian Cup game against Klemetsrud; he had not been selected for the match but had been watching from the stands. Former Super Eagles captain and Stoke City of England midfielder, John Mikel Obi has revealed plans to increase his investment in Plateau State and engage in other social development activities. February 17, 2023. Mikel started his career with the regional team, allegedly claimed to have already signed him. Mikel earns a lot of money on advertising various brands. [64] Mikel scored a rare goal against Sporting CP on 10 December in a 31 victory at Stamford Bridge in the 201415 Champions League. Former Nigeria international John Mikel Obi has retired from football at the age of 35, declaring himself "very satisfied with all I was able to achieve" during 18 years in the game. ", Mikel Obi reveals how Jose Mourinho converted him to a defensive midfielder. ", Featured Image Credit: Dubai Eye 103.8/Alamy, Topics:.css-wpf514{color:#72B97D;}Eden Hazard, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Premier League, La Liga, VAR farce as Arsenal denied blatant penalty for handball, fans are fuming, Bournemouth go 1-0 up vs Arsenal after 9.11 seconds with kick-off routine 'glitch', Fans think Erling Haaland is treating Premier League games like charity matches, It took Phil Foden 15 minutes to dance through Newcastle's entire defence, he's officially back, Fans cant believe this South Sudan goalkeeper is only 18 years old, Oleksandr Zinchenko tipped to win Premier League 'Player of the Season' award, Fans claim Saudi Pro League is 'scripted' after Cristiano Ronaldo and Martin Campana's 'bizarre' one-on-one encounter, Eden Hazard Has Been Made Available For Transfer By Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti Will Allow Him To Leave, Cadiz Defender Shows Off Gruesome Gash And Broken Foot After Tackle From Eden Hazard, Real Madrid tell Eden Hazard to find a new club after 'giving up' on winger, Eden Hazard Tried To Give Toni Kroos Son Champagne. pic.twitter.com/MjbE0NtWyC. Mikel played the full 90 and helped keep three clean-sheets in the first three games as Chelsea eased past West Bromwich Albion 60 on 14 August,[38] crushed Wigan Athletic 60 at the DW Stadium seven days later[39] and edged past Stoke City 20 on 28 August. After two years in China, Mikel joined English Championship team Middlesbrough on a short-term deal in the 2019 winter transfer window. So were Lyn. Mikel Obi's net worth, cars and houses in 2021 - Clacified He has 6 houses now. If I went to United, they were gone. Turkish Football Federation player ID. Where is John Mikel Obi from in Nigeria and other interesting facts He made his first international start in Nigeria's final group game, a 21 victory over Senegal. unbelievable performance in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich, Graham Potter Shares His Emotions Following The Queen's Passing, Chelsea And Arsenal Legend Emmanuel Petit Speaks On The Blues' Recent Struggles, hy Chelsea Vs Liverpool At Stamford Bridge Has Been Postponed, Report: Todd Boehly 'Impressed' By Christoph Freund's Red Bull Model, Report: Chelsea Having Talks With Christoph Freun, 'We Just Didn't Have A Shared Vision For The Future' - Todd Boehly On Thomas Tuchel's Sacking, 'We Want To Entertain' - Graham Potter Prepares To Win Back The Fans. Mikel Obi Biography, House, Wife, Salary, Age, Net Worth Mikel got a total of 91 caps for his country, whilst scoring 6 goals. Adesanya admits medical treatment after Pereira KO - The Sun. John Obi Mikel says former Chelsea teammate Eden Hazard was the 'laziest footballer he's ever seen' before describing what he was like in training. Other than winning a bronze medal with Nigeria at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, most of Mikel John Obi's success came while playing for Chelsea from 2006 to 2017. . And while that was his only official Super . He didn't have the belief that he had in me before, which is fine because every manager has the player that they have trust in.". Back home in Nigeria, a lot of people were saying I should go to United because of how well they work with young players, whereas Chelsea just bought superstars.. mikel_john_obi. Mikel is now 35 and has now retired and whatever you thought about him, he made an incredible impact. John Mikel Obi Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images [17] FIFA dismissed these claims in August 2005, stating there was insufficient evidence to bring a case against Chelsea. [70] He was released by Middlesbrough at the end of the 201819 season. He was apart of the Nigeria team that won the Africa Cup of Nations at South Africa in 2013 and also represented the African country at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Chelsea appealed against the red card, but the three-match suspension was upheld. John Obi Mikel has revealed the reason as to why he chose to sign for Chelsea ahead of Manchester United and had to make sure that the decision he made was the right one. Mikel John Obi was told that his father had been kidnapped and would be killed if he reported anything - just hours before he led Nigeria into their final World Cup group phase tie against Argentina [79], On 1 July 2021, Mikel cancelled his contract agreement with Stoke and moved to Kuwait SC. In 2006, he made a controversial transfer to English club Chelsea after Manchester United claimed they had already signed him. Adorable Photo Of Mikel Obi & His Twin Daughters Waiting For Christmas A long, drawn out transfer ended up costing the Blues 16million &# Mikel expressed his delight at joining United in a hastily arranged press conference, where he was pictured holding up a Manchester United shirt bearing the squad number 21. The midfielder, who lined up alongside Frank Lampard and Michael Essien on many occasions, also played under Jose Mourinho during most of his years at the Blues. 1:50. . [31] Mikel provided another assist for a Drogba goal in a 50 win over FA Cup finalists and relegated side Portsmouth on 24 March, as Chelsea cut United's lead at the top of the table to one point. However, since being sent off in a match against Reading on 14 October 2006, Mikel was fined on three separate occasions by Chelsea for turning up late to training. "I actually think, when you look at him now, he's lost a little weight," he said. @ on Twitter: " "Eden Hazard is the laziest Although he had all that trouble on 22 July, Mikel signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea. No matter how long it lasted, that was important to me. At the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, Mikel played for the Nigeria under-20 squad and was awarded the Silver Ball as the tournaments second-best player (after Lionel Messi) as the continents side came in second to Argentina. PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovi's free kick deflected off Mikel, who was part of the wall, and past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. [89] At the tournament, he scored one goal and registered one assist in a match against Benin to help Nigeria qualify for the quarter-finals against hosts Ghana, where they lost 21 to their West African rivals.[90]. He scored six goals throughout his time at the club. [92], At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Mikel was a key player for Nigeria as they went on to win their third continental title. He entered the second game against Zimbabwe, nevertheless, early in the second half. The Nigerian Amputee team have missed the last three editions of the World Cup due to finance, and they are also on the verge of missing this year's championship. The summer of 2008 saw veteran defensive midfielder Claude Makll transferred to French club Paris Saint-Germain, leaving the defensive midfield position vacant. John Mikel Obi net worth. [102] He retired at the end of the competition, in which Nigeria came third. Twitter user numeric ID. But there was a public announcement in Norway that, if anyone saw me, they should report it to the police, so we had to go and hide. His abductors were reported to be in police custody. Well-known for his unbelievable performance in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final . In an interview with Kwese ESPN, Mikel said he received a call four hours before kickoff demanding N10 million ($28,000 in U.S. dollars) for the return of his father. Nigeria became the first ever country to win all three medals at the Olympic Games with the 1996 squad winning the gold and 2008 squad winning the silver. [74][75] He made his Stoke debut on 13 September 2020 in a 00 draw away at Millwall. [34], Under new manager Carlo Ancelotti, Mikel continued to perform with efficiency in his defensive midfield role, notching 35 appearances for the Blues. Chelsea then faced Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16.