Former Super Eagles skipper John Obi Mikel has joined English Premier League side, Stoke City FC.
The club confirmed the development in a statement on its website, saying he is the fourth signing of the summer.
In the statement titled “Obi Mikel completes switch”, Stoke City said “the Nigerian international midfielder joins Morgan Fox, James Chester and Steven Fletcher in checking in at the bet365 Stadium ahead of the 2020/21 Championship season.
Mikel, who won a host of domestic and European honours during a glittering 11-year stay at Chelsea, returns to English football after a spell in the Turkish Super Lig with Trabzonspor.
Manager Michael O’Neill told the club’s website:
“We’re delighted to bring John to the Club. His playing career speaks for itself and underlines his calibre as a player.
“I was really impressed with him when we met for the first time and he outlined what he wants from the next phase of his career.
“We spent four hours talking and he made it clear he wants to get back into the Premier League and finish his career there and hopefully he can do that with Stoke City.”
Mikel made more than 370 appearances for Chelsea, helping them to land the Premier League title twice, as well as three FA Cups, the Champions League and Europa League.
After a spell in China, he played for Middlesbrough after joining them on a short-term deal in January 2019, making 19 appearances.
He won 91 caps before retiring from international football following last year’s African Cup of Nations.
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Quick Bio of John Obi Mikel
John Obi Mikel (born 22 April 1987) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL Championship club Stoke City.
Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before joining Norwegian club Lyn at the age of 17 in 2004.
In 2006, he made a controversial transfer to English club Chelsea after Manchester United claimed they had already signed him.
He stayed with Chelsea for 11 years, before moving to China with Tianjin TEDA in 2017.
After two years in China, he returned to England on a short-term deal with Middlesbrough, before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in July 2019.
Mikel moved back to England in August 2020 joining Stoke City.
In a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, he played 88 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals. [Source: Wikipedia]
