‘You made the impossible, possible’: John Obi Mikel’s open letter to Chelsea fans after leaving for China

John Obi Mikel has thanked Chelsea fans for taking him into the “Chelsea family” as the Nigeria midfielder ended his 10-and-a-half years at the club by joining Chinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA on Friday. Mikel, 29, made 374 appearances for Chelsea since joining in 2006, winning 11 trophies. However, the Nigeria captain has not made any appearances for the Premier League club this season, and has decided to “seek a new challenge” in China. He follows in the footsteps of Oscar, who left Chelsea last week for Chinese side Shanghai SIPG. “After 10 years, 374 appearances and 11 trophies, it is time for me to say goodbye,” Mikel said in a letter posted on his Twitter account. “I haven’t featured as much this season as I would have liked, and at 29 I still have many years in the game ahead of me. With this in mind, I feel now is the time to seek a new challenge. “I’m delighted to be joining Tianjin TEDA FC in China, at a time that the Chinese Super League is really taking off. “I look forward to helping Tianjin TEDA FC continue to grow both on and off the pitch in the next few years.” Read Mikel’s full letter here: Mikel joined Chelsea from Norwegian side Lyn Oslo in 2006 following a legal wrangle with Manchester United, who had previously announced his signature. Mikel has been capped 78 times by Nigeria, scoring five goals, and was a member of the team that triumphed at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. Meanwhile, Chelsea captain John Terry has wished his former teammate “all the very best” in the latest chapter of his career. “I would like to wish this LEGEND of a player and man all the very best with his move to China,” Terry, 34, wrote on his Instagram account. * The National staff Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport