A host of Chelsea icons have sent fitting tributes to midfielder John Obi Mikel after the Nigerian announced his retirement from football at the age of 35.
The Nigerian has called an end to his 18-year career which started all the way back in 2004 with Nigerian side Plateau United. Chelsea poached the midfielder from Norway in 2006 and despite his non-legends tag that Blues fans have given to the likes of Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and many others, the defensive-minded player still played his part in many successes on the pitch for the club.
Whether it was his involvement in the run to the 2012 UEFA Champions League title or his iconic goal in Paris, Mikel despite not going down as a legend, will be remembered for being a cult hero of such.
