The Five Nigerian Stars Who Have The Most Appearances In The Premier League

David Tully

3 years ago

Categories: Galleries, Manchester City News

Tags: Arsenal, aston villa, Chelsea, Everton, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Southampton, spurs, West Ham, wolves

After going through the top appearance makers of the Premier League era from the Netherlands last week, we now turn our attention to Nigeria.

During the last 30 years, some exceptionally talented footballers have emerged from the African country and many have made their mark in England.

All of the players on this list have more than 200 appearances to their name in the English top-flight, which is testament to their ability and longevity.

Press the next page as we count down the five Nigerians who have made the most appearances in Premier League history.

5) Joseph Yobo (Everton and Norwich) – 228 Apps

The Toffees snapped up the centre-back for £4m from Marseille, after an initial loan spell, in 2003. He spent the best part of ten years at Goodison Park before leaving for Fenerbahce in 2012.

Yobo did have a brief spell back in the Premier League when he returned on loan to Norwich during the 2013/14 season, but he made just eight appearances. The defender retired after the 2014 World Cup.

4) John Obi Mikel (Chelsea) – 249 Apps

There was much controversy around the midfielder even before he arrived at Chelsea. After initially agreeing to sign for Manchester United, the deal was subsequently disputed and he eventually ended up at Stamford Bridge after a settlement was reached.

Despite a rocky start, Mikel spent the next eleven years with the Blues, winning two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League. After a fall out with manager Antonio Conte, he left for China in 2017 before returning for spells in the Championship with Middlesbrough and Stoke.

3) Yakubu (Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton and Blackburn) – 252 Apps

The Nigerian striker was a prolific scorer at four different Premier League clubs. After arriving at Pompey on loan from Maccabi Haifa, he helped fire the south coast club into the Premier League.

After another season with Portsmouth, Yakubu made the switch to Middlesbrough in 2005 for £7.5m, helping Boro to the UEFA Cup final a year later. His performances got him an £11.25m move to Everton where he stayed for four seasons. His final year in top-flight football was with Blackburn, where he scored 18 times. It wasn’t enough to prevent Rovers from being relegated and he subsequently left England for China.

2) Kanu (Arsenal, West Brom and Portsmouth) – 273 Apps

The forward was a uniquely gifted footballer, known for his skill and sublime goals. He joined Arsenal from Inter Milan for £4m in 1999 and spent five years at the Gunners. The 1999/2000 campaign was his most prolific season, bagging 12 goals in the Premier League.

Kanu was allowed to leave on a free transfer when his contract expired in 2004. He spent two subsequent years at West Brom and another four with Portsmouth before their relegation.

1) Shola Ameobi (Newcastle and Crystal Palace) – 298 Apps

The striker was born in Zaria, but he was brought up in Newcastle. He spent an incredible 14 years with the Magpies before he was allowed to leave on a free in May 2014.

Ameobi did have one further year in the Premier League, spending the second half of the 2014/15 season with Crystal Palace. He was, though, released by the Eagles after just six months. He retired in 2018 following spells at lower league sides Bolton, Fleetwood and Notts County.