Alex Iwobi: Nigerian Midfielder Breaks John Obi Mikel’s Premier League Record Despite Fulham Defeat

• Alex Iwobi is now the Nigeria footballer that has played the most minutes in the Premier League
• The Fulham midfielder has surpassed John Obi Mikel's previous record of 16,218 minutes played
• The ex-Arsenal star has contributed five goals in 25 league appearances for the club this season

Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi, achieved a significant milestone on Sunday, April 8, becoming the Nigerian player to have been fielded for the most minutes in the English Premier League.

He broke a longstanding record held by former Nigerian international John Obi Mikel.

The former Super Eagles star, who debuted for Chelsea in 2006, held on to the record until he departed from the west London club in the 2016-2017 season.

However, Iwobi, who started his Premier League journey with Arsenal before transferring to Everton, has steadily amassed playing time, ultimately surpassing Mikel's record.

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Following his appearance against Newcastle at the weekend, his total minutes reached 16,289, surpassing the previous record of 16,218, as reported by Soccernet.

The 27-year-old, who joined Fulham last summer from the Toffees, has showcased his versatility on the field, contributing five goals in 25 league appearances for the team this season. He can further extend his record with seven matches remaining in the current campaign.

Despite his achievements on the field, Iwobi has faced challenges off the pitch, particularly regarding online abuse following Nigeria's loss to Ivory Coast in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final. The midfielder became a target of social media criticism, prompting him to remove all previous posts from his Instagram account.

He recently shared his feelings on the criticism he faced in an interview, stressing he was unmoved and was focused on improving his national side, as reported by Football London.

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Fulham coach explains Alex Iwob'i's substitution

Sports Brief reported that Fulham coach, Marco Silva, disclosed why Iwobi was substituted during his team's 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The London-based club were down by two goals in the first twenty minutes, with goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood.

Silva wanted to change how his team was set up and made three changes early in the game.