Alex Iwobi: Fulham Star Eyes Future Milestones After Breaking Obi Mikel's Premier League Record

• Alex Iwobi surpassed John Obi-Mikel's record for the most minutes played by a Nigerian in the Premier League
• Iwobi achieved this milestone during Fulham's final game of the season, surpassing the ex-Chelsea man's total
• The midfielder is still hungry for more despite facing criticism and abuse online abuse after Nigeria’s AFCON loss

Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi, has paid tribute to Chelsea legend, John Obi Mikel, after breaking his record for the most minutes played by a Nigerian player in Premier League history.

Mikel, who made his Stanford Bridge debut in 2006, held the record until he left the London club in the 2016-2017 season.

Starting his EPL career with the Gunners, Iwobi has steadily accumulated playing time, eventually surpassing the ex-Blues midfielder's record.

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The milestone was reached when Iwobi played in Fulham's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on matchday 32 of the concluded season at Craven Cottage.

The 28-year-old made his Premier League debut in the 2015/2016 season and has since been a significant presence in the English top flight, featuring for Arsenal, Everton, and now Fulham. According to Punch Nigeria, Iwobi has brought his total Premier League minutes to 16,289.

Iwobi expressed his excitement about breaking Mikel’s record and acknowledged the Chelsea icon’s influence on his career.

"It's 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. That's a big achievement because 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," said Iwobi, in an interview with KISS Fresh.

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Not only has Iwobi surpassed the minutes played by the 2012 UEFA Champions League winner, but he has also exceeded Mikel’s total Premier League appearances. With 253 matches under his belt, Iwobi has played four more games. However, he still has some way to go to surpass the highest number of matches played by a Nigerian in the competition. Shola Ameobi currently holds the record with 299 appearances for Newcastle and Crystal Palace.

Fulham coach explains Alex Iwobi'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.