Apart from Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations opener against Burundi, Arsenal star Alex Iwobi has been deployed as a playmaker in all the matches he has featured in so far at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

The last player to wear the Super Eagles number 10 jersey before Chelsea legend Obi Mikel broke into the national team set up was ex-PSG star Austin Jay-Jay Okocha who is Iwobi's uncle.

With Mikel seemingly retiring after the 2019 AFCON, Iwobi has not ruled out the possibility of taking over the vacant shirt number but stressed that he's ready to play with any number.

''I have not been thinking about that, I am more concerned about how I perform on the pitch and how the team does,'' Iwobi said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

''Obviously number 10 is a very special jersey to my family and to the country but if it's number 10, if it's number 18, I'll always go and represent and do my best.

''If I get given the jersey I get given the jersey but like I said any number whether it is 45, whether it is any other number, I'll always try and do my best for the country.''

At Arsenal, Iwobi wore the number 17 jersey during the 2018-2019 season.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel