Nigeria Coach Gernot Rohr Reacts To Mikel's Move To Middlesbrough

Published: January 24, 2019

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has expressed happiness over Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel's move to EFL Championship side Middlesbrough.

The German football tactician revealed that the Super Eagles captain chose Boro ahead of his other suitors, not limited to AS Roma and Wolfsburg, because he wants to be close to his family who remained in the United Kingdom after he transferred to Tianjin Teda in January 2017.

''We are very happy about it because he has not played for a long time, Obi Mikel is a player who is willing to play now and wanted to come back to Europe, his family is staying there,'' Rohr said.

''I am happy for him he can find a good club again. Now, we will watch what he is doing, he needs a little time perhaps to come back into the rhythm of the matches.

''We want him to come back to the national team like other players. If he is playing well with his new team, he stands a chance of coming back to us, but he has not told me he will quit the team.

''He remains the captain of the team till he says otherwise, we will be happy to have him back for his experience.''

Obi Mikel, 31 trained with his new teammates on Thursday morning ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fourth round tie against Newport County.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : mfc.co.uk