'Work hard, dreams come true' - Mikel's message on International Youth Day 2018

Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has joined the rest of the world to encourage and celebrate youths on the United Nations official youth awareness day.

International Youth Day is observed annually on August 12 and this year's theme is Safe Spaces for Youth.

Having played in major football tournaments at youth, international and club levels, the 31-year-old admonished the younger ones that the only path to achieve their dreams is through hard work.

Mikel rose to prominence after a successful outing at the 2005 Fifa World Cup Championship in the Netherlands. Nigeria lost 2-1 to Argentina in the final and the midfielder was named the second best player of the tournament after Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Mikel's performances at the summer championship caused a transfer controversy between Manchester United and Chelsea before he finally moved to Stamford Bridge in June 2006.

During his stay in London, the midfielder won the Uefa Champions League once, two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Uefa Europa League trophy before moving to Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda in January 2017.

This summer, the combative midfielder who was named the African Young Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006, captained Nigeria at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia - his second appearance at the quadrennial tournament after the 2014 edition in Brazil.