Super Eagles Captain, John Obi Mikel has revealed his football hero and two other football stars that shaped his career.
Mikel said former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane was his hero while growing up and he was inspired by the duo of Nigeria legends, Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu.
“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.
“They were highly motivating to me. But on the global stage, Zinedine Zidane was my all-time hero.”
“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.