Mikel hints that former Chelsea star will take over as new Super Eagles coach – I told him to take the job

Former Nigeria senior captain John Obi Mikel has hinted that a former Premier League Chelsea midfielder asked him about taking over as Nigeria senior national team coach, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria have been without a substantial coach since the departure of Finidi George as coach and talks with Bruno Labbadia, who was appointed as the new coach by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), broke down.

Austine Eguavoen was put in temporary charge of the team that led them to the AFCON qualifiers, where the team earned four of the six possible points by beating Benin Republic 3-0 and drawing 0-0 with Rwanda in Kigali.

His mandate was to lead the team for two games and following the conclusion of those the position is expected to become vacant soon, and Eguavoen confirmed that his fourth stint came to a temporary end shortly after yesterday’s game.

Mikel, speaking on his Obione podcast, said that Gustavo Poyet, who left his post as Greece coach in March following the expiration of his two-year contract, asked him about the offer to take over as Super Eagles coach after contacts with the NFF.

He said he advised him to accept the role but that he should bear in mind that he will probably receive much-needed support from the federation, although it will be a good step in his career as he will have the opportunity to work with very good players.

As we reported after talks with Labbadia broke down, the former Uruguay international was among a shortlist of four that included Aitor Karanka and Fabio Cannavaro, from which the German was chosen as coach.

Like Mikel, Poyet made his name playing for Chelsea between 1997 and 2001 before moving to Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent three years. He moved into coaching in 2006, when he became a player and assistant manager at Swindon Town alongside former Chelsea teammate Dennis Wise.

He also held assistant roles at Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur before becoming head coach.

He has since managed Brighton and Hove Albion, Sunderland, AEK Athens, Real Betis, Shanghai Shenhua and Bordeaux, with his only managerial role being in Greece, as mentioned above.