By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Alex Iwobi says he is focused on breaking more Premier League records next season.
Iwobi surpassed John Mikel Obi for most minutes played by a Nigerian in the Premier League in the recently ended campaign.
The 28-year-old racked up 16,289 minutes in England’s top flight when he featured in the Cottagers’ 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on April 6.
Mikel had set the record during his 11-year stay at Chelsea and Iwobi managed to overtake the former Super Eagles star in his 10th season in the Premier League.
The 28-year-old now sits on 16,808 minutes played at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, having contributed five goals and two assists in 30 appearances for Marco Silva’s side.
Iwobi also moved ahead of Mikel for matches played (253) and has now set his sights on catching Shola Ameobi, who holds the record of 299 outings for the Magpies and Crystal Palace. READ ALSO:
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“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,” he told KISS Fresh.
“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.”