John Obi Mikel has advised young players intending to make big money moves to Chinese Super Lig to have a rethink

Mikel who won the Champions League, the Premier League twice and three FA Cups during his 11 years at Chelsea, earned £140,000-a-week while playing for Tianjin Teda

"My advice to anyone thinking about going, is to have a long think about it.

"You have to go at the right time.

"I certainly wouldn't say to anyone under the age of 30 to go there. They will regret it if they do.

"It's worth doing for a couple of years, if only to learn a different culture, to give yourself an experience that takes you out of your comfort zone, but do not be tempted by the money if you are young. Do your research, check what sort of .club you are going to over there.

"You should wait until you are approaching end of your career. The money makes the move tempting, we're only human, but do not be tempted by the size of the cheque if you are in the prime of your career. It's not worth it.

"It was two years of a huge culture shock.

"The food was a problem, the lifestyle, the style in which everything was done.

"When you have been at a club like Chelsea in the Premier League, for 11 years, it was very hard to adapt to how things were done. It isn't at the elite level, let's put it that way.

"The pitches were poor, stadiums were poor, and the medical facilities were not what I was used to. I'm not saying it's all the Chinese clubs, some of them are quite professional, but the one I was at, it wasn't as professional as it should have been. It became tough for me almost straight away.

"I wouldn't say I regretted it, I had a good time with my team-mates, but it was never easy. The standard of football, it's not even Championship standard. I realised that very quickly. It's a league that wants to grow, they are putting a lot of money in, but it's a long way behind"

Source= http://legit.ng

Last edited by xteris (8th Mar 2019 02:31 pm)