Stoke City extend Mikel's contract for another season as it pursues Premier League status

FORMER Super Eagles skipper Mikel Obi has signed a one year extension to his contract with English Championship side Stoke City that will keep him at the bet365 Stadium until the end of the 2021/22 season.

Mikel, 34, joined Stoke in 2020 from Turkish side Trabzonspor and has gone on to become the team's talisman, captaining them whenever they take to the field. Although the Potters did not make the Championship playoffs finishing the campaign in mid-table, the club was impressed enough with Mikel to keep him on for another season.

A holding midfielder, who anchors the team, Mikel, a 2012 Uefa Champions League winner with Chelsea, featured in 41 of the Potters’ 46 league matches and was one of manager Michael O’Neill’s first names on the team sheet. He will now aim to assist the club in achieving its primary objective of gaining promotion to the Premier League next season.

A Stoke City spokesman said: “Contract extensions have been activated to retain the services of defender James Chester and midfielder John Obi Mikel." Stoke City finished the just-concluded campaign in 14th place with 60 points from 46 matches.