Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has expressed delight at surpassing Mikel Obi’s record for the most minutes played by a Nigerian in the English Premier League.

In an interview with Kiss Fresh, Iwobi shared his excitement about breaking the record set by the former Chelsea star. He also mentioned his ambition to extend this record, making it a tougher challenge for future players.

Iwobi has been a consistent presence in the Premier League since 2015, starting his career at Arsenal before moving to Everton in 2019 and then joining Fulham last year.

The 28-year-old midfielder had a strong campaign with Fulham in the recently concluded Premier League season, scoring five goals and providing two assists in 30 appearances.

During the season, Iwobi made history by surpassing 16,289 minutes played in Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle, overtaking the record previously held by Super Eagles legend Mikel, who accumulated his minutes while playing for Chelsea from 2006 to 2017.

Reflecting on his achievement, Iwobi expressed his admiration for Mikel.

“Surpassing Mikel Obi to become the Nigerian player with the most minutes played in the Premier League is crazy,” Iwobi said.

“I’m not trying to stop, I’m trying to increase that, so whoever is coming after the record would have a lot of hard work to do. Yeah, it’s a big achievement because John Obi is a legend in the game. The fact that I’ve played with him, I feel old. He was my idol at one point, but now he is a legend.”

Iwobi’s accomplishment is a testament to his durability and consistency, marking a significant milestone in his Premier League career. (BusinessDay)

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