‘I wish I’d known’ – Ex-Chelsea star Mikel Obi reflects on his career

Former Super Eagles star, John Mikel Obi, has revealed that there are some things he knows now and wishes he had known during his playing time.

The 36-year-old has had a successful career, having played both at home and abroad for the likes of Plateau United, Lyn Oslo, Chelsea Tianjin TEDA, Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City, and Kuwait SC.

Mikel also played on the national side, having represented Nigeria from the U-17 level before progressing through the ranks that later led him to captain the senior national team, the Super Eagles, putting together 91 caps before retiring from the national team in 2019.

His most successful time during his active years came at Chelsea, where he made 372 appearances in a 10-year stay, winning every major trophy with the London club before departing in November 2016.

The 36-year-old most notable performance for the Blues came in the final of the 2012 Uefa Champions League, where his brilliance and dynamism helped the club to a maiden triumph.

However, Mikel made a return alongside 2012 heroes like John Terry, Gary Cahill, Michael Essien, Ramires, Florent Malouda, and Salomon Kalou to team up with Chelsea Legends against Bayern Munich Legends in a memorial game to honor ex-Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli at the Stamford Bridge last Saturday.

It was a game Chelsea dominated. Essien opened the scoring with a fine header before further goals from John Terry, Gary Cahill, and Tiago Mendes sealed a 4-0 victory for the home side.

After a standout performance in the Legends of Europe game, the former Nigerian midfielder confessed that there are some things he knows now and wishes he had known earlier during his active days.

Mikel ended his playing career almost a year ago but has kept himself in supreme shape. It enabled him to play the majority of Saturday’s fixture at the Bridge; he looked hardly a day older than on his last outing in a blue shirt in 2016.

I look younger, don’t I? Mikel said during a chat, as quoted by chelseafc.com

I am looking after myself, trying to eat right, trying to train right. I wish I knew half of the things I know now when I was still playing, I think it would have added a lot to my game, a lot to my career. I know more about who I am now, about myself, and what gets me going. But hey, that’s part of life.

Mikel was part of the squad that won Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy in 2013, and the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio