John Obi Mikel in an emotional open letter declared that he is going to leave Premier League side Chelsea to join Chinese side Tianjin TEDA. Mikel with end his ten-year-old relationship with Chelsea to play in the Chinese Super League.
Mikel joined Chelsea in 2006 under some controversy as he already had signed a four-year deal with Manchester United. But he impressed then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho so much in trail that Mikel finally ended up becoming a Chelsea player.
But that was just a minor hiccups in what was to become a glorious and trophy-laden decade for the player at London. He went on to win the Carling Cup and the FA Cup in his first season at Chelsea and he was also crowned the Young Player of the Year at Chelsea.
Mikel steps away from Chelsea having made 374 appearances and winning eleven trophies in the process. But above all the matches and goals, Mikel will always be remembered for his character and personality. How he stood tall at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield for years.
He joined Chelsea as a 19-year-old youngster and was immediately thrown in the mix with the likes of Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele. A daunting place to be in. But John survived, and how. He was at the heart of almost every Chelsea success in the coming years. He would turn out to be a pillar during Chelsea’s Champions League triumph as he played every single minute from the quarter-final onwards.
We are sure that it would have been an emotional moment for Mikel to make this decision, but at the end that is how the game is. You step aside to make way for fresh and new talent and move on to greener pastures to try your hand at a new challenge.
We at Football Fan wish all the best to John Obi Mikel for his future endeavours in the Chinese Super League.
