Ex-Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has launched a football development foundation in his homeland of Nigeria.
The current Tianjin Teda (China) midfielder expressed his inspiration to help unearth the future generations of Nigerian footballers at Monday’s official launch at CIS Pitch, Lekki, Lagos
“Home is where it all started for me. I will always want to give back to Nigeria, my community and that is why I am doing this,†Mikel began.
“This is the time to do this for the kids and we are going to make sure we make this a success.
“When we kick off proper, it’s going to be about going to the streets, villages to find talent.â€
“We know Nigeria has talents and this is what I want to do. We are looking at Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
The 31-year-old concluded by shedding light on the growing murmurs about his retirement from the Nigerian national team.
“I have been on break. I am not tired yet, I think the day I will retire, I will let everyone know before I make the statement.â€
Mikel will be hoping to be included in coach Gernot Rohr’s 2019 AFCON squad to travel to Cameroon in June next year.
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