Mikel: Former Chelsea and Nigeria star open to England return


The former Nigeria international is not ruling out a return to English football having previously starred for the Blues
John Obi Mikel has revealed he is open to return to England after holding sway for Premier League club Chelsea in the past.
The former Super Eagles captain is currently without a club after parting ways with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor by mutual agreement in March.
Before his departure from the Medical Park Stadyumu, the 33-year-old made 27 appearances for the Black Sea Storm across all competitions.
"Yes, there are interested clubs and England is a strong possibility and why not," Mikel told BBC Sport.
"We are currently in talks with clubs and there is absolutely no hurry. I can only wait to see what happens."
Mikel made an indelible mark in England during his 11-year stay with Chelsea, where he featured in 249 league appearances.
The midfielder won a number of accolades during his time at Stamford Bridge, including two Premier League titles, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League among others.
The former Nigeria international also featured for Championship club Middleborough after leaving Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda in 2018. 
The midfielder had 91 caps for the Super Eagles before announcing his retirement from international duty after helping the West Africans finish third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
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Mikel also played a prominent role as Nigeria clinched the continental title for the third time in their history in 2013 in South Africa, under the guidance of Stephen Keshi.
He captained Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio and was part of the Super Eagles squad at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments.
The midfielder will hope to secure a club before the commencement of the 2020-21 campaign.