Mikel John Obi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mikel John Obi

Mikel in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Mikel John Obi
Date of birth	(1987-04-22) 22 April 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Jos, Nigeria
Height	1.88 m
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
2002–2004	Plateau United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2006	Lyn	6	(1)
2006–2017	Chelsea	249	(1)
2017–2018	Tianjin TEDA	31	(3)
2019	Middlesbrough	18	(1)
2019–2020	Trabzonspor	19	(0)
2020–2021	Stoke City	39	(0)
2021	Kuwait SC	0	(0)
Total		362	(6)
National team
2016	Nigeria Olympic	6	(1)
2005–2019	Nigeria	91	(6)
Honours Men's football Representing  Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations Winner 2013 South Africa Third 2006 Egypt Third 2010 Angola Third 2019 Egypt Olympic Games Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Mikel John Obi (born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna; 22 April 1987), also known as John Obi Mikel, is a Nigerian former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder, a player who helps protect the defense.

Mikel started his football journey with a local club called Plateau United. In 2004, when he was 17, he joined the Norwegian club Lyn. In 2006, he moved to the English club Chelsea. This transfer was a bit complicated because another big club, Manchester United, thought they had already signed him.

He played for Chelsea for 11 years, winning many important trophies. These included two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2012. After leaving Chelsea, he played for several other teams like Tianjin TEDA, Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, and Stoke City.

Mikel also had a long international career with the Nigerian national team, known as the Super Eagles. From 2005 to 2019, he played 91 games and scored six goals for his country.

Early Life and Start in Football

Mikel was born in Jos, a city in Plateau State, Nigeria. His father, Michael Obi, ran a transport company. Mikel is from the Igbo ethnic group.

Discovering a Talent

Mikel began playing football at age 12. He was chosen from over 3,000 young players to join the Pepsi Football Academy. This academy was famous for finding talented young footballers across Nigeria.

Mikel really stood out to the scouts. He was then picked to play for Plateau United, a top club that had helped other famous players start their careers. Mikel became well-known for his country at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland. After this tournament, he went for a trial at Ajax Cape Town in South Africa. He eventually joined Lyn Fotball in Norway.

Joining Chelsea

A Big Move to England

In April 2005, just after Mikel turned 18, Manchester United announced they had agreed to sign him from Lyn. However, Chelsea, another big English club, said they already had an agreement with Mikel and his agents. This led to a lot of discussion and confusion.

Mikel himself said he felt pressured to sign with Manchester United. He later stated that he truly wanted to join Chelsea. After a long period of talks, the three clubs finally reached an agreement in June 2006. Mikel's transfer was officially moved to Chelsea. Chelsea agreed to pay Manchester United and Lyn for the transfer.

Playing for Chelsea (2006–2017)

First Seasons and Important Role

Mikel started playing for Chelsea in September 2006. He quickly showed his skills, especially in the UEFA Champions League. He scored his first goal for Chelsea in an FA Cup game in January 2007. During the League Cup final in 2007, he was sent off after a clash with an opponent.

Despite this, Chelsea's manager, José Mourinho, started using Mikel in important games. He played a key role in midfield, helping to stop opposing attacks and pass the ball well. He became very important to the team, especially after another strong midfielder, Claude Makélélé, left the club.

Growing Stronger

In September 2007, Mikel was sent off again for a tackle. However, he continued to improve his game. During the 2008–09 season, he played a lot because another teammate, Michael Essien, was injured. Mikel played so well that he was nominated for the club's player and young player of the season awards. In July 2009, he signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea.

Winning Trophies

Under new manager Carlo Ancelotti, Mikel continued to be a strong defensive midfielder. In May 2010, he helped Chelsea win both the Premier League title and the FA Cup. This was the first time Chelsea had won both trophies in the same season.

In the 2010–11 Premier League season, Mikel was often the first choice in midfield. He helped Chelsea keep many clean sheets (games without letting opponents score).

Champions League Glory

Before the 2011–12 season, Mikel faced a personal challenge when his father was taken in Nigeria. Despite this, Mikel chose to play in Chelsea's first game of the season. He continued to play an important role, especially after Roberto Di Matteo became the interim coach.

Mikel played all 90 minutes in Chelsea's FA Cup victory over Liverpool in May 2012. He also played a full 120 minutes in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich. In that final, Mikel played an amazing game, helping Chelsea win the trophy in a penalty shootout. Many experts praised his performance, calling it one of his best.

Later Years at Chelsea

In November 2012, Mikel was nominated for the African Footballer of the Year award. In December 2012, he signed a new contract with Chelsea until 2017.

On 21 September 2013, Mikel scored his first-ever Premier League goal in a 2–0 win against Fulham. He scored another goal in the FA Cup in January 2014. In February, he made his 200th Premier League appearance for Chelsea.

In December 2014, Mikel scored a rare goal in the Champions League against Sporting CP. In December 2015, he reached 350 appearances for Chelsea. He also scored a goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in 2016. Towards the end of his time at Chelsea, he sometimes played as a centre-back due to injuries to other players. In November 2016, it was announced that his contract would not be renewed.

Later Club Career

Moving to China and Back to England

On 6 January 2017, Mikel joined the Chinese club Tianjin TEDA on a free transfer. He played there for two years, scoring a few goals. He left Tianjin TEDA in November 2018.

After his time in China, Mikel returned to England. In January 2019, he joined Championship team Middlesbrough. He played 19 games for them, scoring one goal. He left Middlesbrough at the end of the 2018–19 season.

Final Clubs and Retirement

In the summer of 2019, Mikel joined Trabzonspor in Turkey. He left the club in March 2020 because he was concerned about the Turkish league continuing during the global coronavirus pandemic.

In August 2020, Mikel signed a one-year contract with Stoke City, another Championship team. He played 41 games for Stoke in the 2020–21 season and was a key player for them.

On 1 July 2021, Mikel moved to Kuwait SC. However, his contract was ended after only four months. On 27 September 2022, Mikel announced that he was retiring from professional football at the age of 35.

International Career

Mikel played 91 times for Nigeria, appearing at two FIFA World Cups: in 2014 and 2018 (pictured against Iceland in 2018).

Mikel played for the Nigeria under-20 team at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He won the Silver Ball award as the second-best player in the tournament, helping Nigeria finish as runner-up.

He made his debut for the senior Nigerian team in August 2005. He was part of the squad for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored his first international goal in a game against Zimbabwe.

Mikel played in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, scoring one goal. He was ruled out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa due to an injury.

African Champion and Olympic Medalist

At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Mikel was a very important player for Nigeria. He helped them win their third continental title. He was even named in the team of the tournament by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Mikel made his FIFA World Cup debut at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. He was named man of the match in Nigeria's first game and helped the team reach the knockout stage.

He was chosen as captain for the Nigerian Olympic squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. In August 2016, Mikel scored his first Olympic goal against Denmark, helping Nigeria reach the semi-finals. Nigeria went on to win the bronze medal in a 3–2 victory over Honduras. This made Nigeria the first country to win all three medals (gold, silver, and bronze) in Olympic football.

Mikel announced in July 2019 that the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations would be his last tournament for Nigeria. He retired from international football after the competition, where Nigeria finished in third place.

Personal Life

During preparations for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) accidentally wrote "Mikel" instead of "Michael" for his name. He liked the new name and decided to keep it, saying it had a "special ring to it." He officially changed his name to Mikel John Obi in 2016.

In June 2021, Mikel was appointed as Nigeria's Youth Ambassador by the Minister of Youth Sports Development.

In 2011, Mikel's father, Michael Obi, was involved in an incident in Nigeria. Mikel was told about it before a Chelsea match but chose to play. His father was later found safe. In 2018, a similar incident occurred, but Mikel again showed strength and played in a World Cup match without telling his teammates. His father was rescued safely after both events.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 January 2006	Port Said Stadium, Port Said, Egypt	Zimbabwe	2–0	2–0	2006 Africa Cup of Nations
2	29 January 2008	Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana	Benin	1–0	2–0	2008 Africa Cup of Nations
3	13 October 2012	U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Nigeria	Liberia	4–1	6–1	2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4	20 June 2013	Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil	Uruguay	1–1	1–2	2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
5	12 November 2016	Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria	Algeria	2–0	3–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	1 September 2017		Cameroon	2–0	4–0

Honours and Awards

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2009–10, 2014–15
• FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12
• Football League Cup: 2006–07, 2014–15
• FA Community Shield: 2009
• UEFA Champions League: 2011–12
• UEFA Europa League: 2012–13

Nigeria National Team

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2013 (Winner); 2006, 2010, 2019 (Third place)

Nigeria Olympic Team

• Summer Olympics bronze medalist: 2016

Individual Awards

• FIFA World Youth Championship Silver Ball: 2005
• CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year: 2005
• Chelsea Young Player of the Year: 2007, 2008
• CAF Team of the Year: 2005, 2013
• Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2013
• African Footballer of the Year runner-up: 2013

Orders

• Member of the Order of the Niger

Images for kids

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  Mikel playing for Chelsea against Spartak Moscow

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  Mikel playing for Chelsea against Fulham in 2009.

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  Mikel playing for Chelsea in 2013.

See also

In Spanish: John Obi Mikel para niños