Nigeria, Feb. 2 -- Mikel John Obi, the former Super Eagles captain, made a fortune for himself at Chelsea after playing for the club for over 10 years.

Subsequent moves to China, Turkey, and then Bahrain also brought the soft-spoken midfielder good money, placing him among the wealthiest Nigerian football stars.

Despite announcing his retirement from the sports that brought him fame and fortune, Mikel remains a top earner in his own right, according to recent research conducted by Ticketgum.com.

The study compiled a seed list of the top 18 players who retired the previous year.

Mikel is ranked eighth in a list that includes other accomplished stars such as Gareth Bale, Jack Wilshere, and Carlos Tevez, among others, after obtaining the...