Mikel Reveals His Hero And Two Stars That Helped His Career

Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has revealed his hero and two other football stars that boosted his career.

According to Mikel, his hero was former Real Madrid coach, Zinedine Zidane, while former Super Eagles stars, Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu were the two stars that inspired him as a teenage footballer.

“As a young player, I drew so much inspiration from two of the best stars Nigeria ever produced,” Mikel was quoted by The Nation as saying.

“I grew up looking up to (Nwankwo) Kanu and (Austin) Jay Jay Okocha. I enjoyed watching them play for their respective club sides.

“More importantly, their exploits in the national team really thrilled me. In their later years, I played in the Super Eagles with them.

“They were highly motivating to me. But on the global stage, Zinedine Zidane was my all-time hero.”

Mikel currently plays for Chinese club side, Tiajin Teda.