John Obi Mikel has finally revealed what inspired him to become a professional footballer. The game that Nigeria played to win Brazil at Atlanta 1996 was what inspired him. This is why he is aiming for gold in Brazil too.

“I remember a little . I remember that day I was sleeping , my father woke me up. I remember the goals,” Mikel said. “This inspired me to take the game seriously and to be who I am today . I hope we can now win gold again to inspire young children in Nigeria.”

Mikel has never won Olympic gold. “It is something missing in my career. I never played the Olympics, this is my first . My goal here is to win the gold medal, it is what moves me. Coming here I spoke to the coach, we are all here walking in the same direction, me, him and the rest of the players . “That’s the reason I’m here. I hope to return to the house with gold.”