Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has expressed his joy at breaking his role model's historic Premier League record.
Iwobi surpasses Mikel Obi as the Nigerian player with the most minutes in the English Premier League.
The Super Eagles star began receiving playing time at Arsenal in 2015, and since then, he has consistently played in the Premier League.
12:20 - 01.06.2024
NO Regrets - Jay Jay Okocha's nephew Iwobi stands by decision to choose Nigeria over England
Nephew to Nigerian legend Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi made the comment on a radio program.
12:38 - 10.05.2024
'He influenced me without even talking about it' - Alex Iwobi on how Okocha convinced him to play for Nigeria
The legendary Super Eagles player Jay-Jay Okocha was instrumental in persuading his nephew, a star in the Premier League, to play for Nigeria rather than England.
The midfielder had a good outing with the Cottagers this season, scoring five goals and providing two assists in 30 appearances.
Iwobi on Mikel’s record
During the season, Iwobi made history by surpassing 16,289 minutes, which took him past Super Eagles legend Mikel, who had the most minutes while playing for Chelsea.
Iwobi, who broke the record, was happy to have outperformed Mikel and gave him the respect he deserved for the record.
According to reports from 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 on X, Iwobi said, “That’s (breaking Mikel’s record) crazy, but I’m not trying to stop.
“I’m trying to increase that, keep going, and whoever is going to come for that title has got to put in hard work.
“That’s a big achievement because John Obi-Mikel is a legend in the game. The fact that I’ve played with him makes me feel old. He was actually my idol at one point. He’s a legend.”
Iwobi will likely continue accumulating minutes because he still has many years left in him. The Super Eagles star will be in action next week when they face South Africa