Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has congratulated national team captain John Mikel Obi after his move to English championship side Middleborough but has stated that coming back to the national team won’t be a stroll in the park for the midfielder despite his legendary national team status.
Mikel is yet to decide on his national team future after the Super Eagles crashed out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia in the group stage with the national team moving on to book qualification ticket for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in Egypt in the summer.
The Franco-German tactician has revealed his pleasure at seeing one of his soldiers return to European and English football after a two year stint in China; “We are very happy about it because it’s been a long time he didn’t play and Mikel is a player who is dedicated to the game, he wanted to play in Europe, his family resides there and I’m happy for him that he could find a good club and now we can watch what he is doing. He needs some time to get back to competitive rhythm.”
With Mikel’s future with the national team still uncertain and after several injuries that kept him off the team, Gernot Rohr has stated that the door is still open for the former Chelsea midfielder but he will have to fight for it like others as nothing will be handed over; “We would like to see him back in the national team but his situation is like that of the other players, he has to play well for his club and if he is playing well at his club he has the chance to come back with us. He never told me that he doesn’t want to come back so I will be happy to see him playing.”
Mikel Obi who recently joied Middlesborough in the English championships has declared that the team’s ambition of returning to the top flight enticed him into signing. Boro as they are fondly called are seven points off table toppers Leeds United in fifth position.
