Mikel, 35, who played a key role as the Blues secured a first Champions League trophy in 2012, made the announcement on his personal Instagram account having most recently been with Kuwait SC.

Having given the Blues over a decade of service after signing as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, the midfielder lifted every major honour with Chelsea, which included two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Europa League, among others. He clocked up a mammoth 372 appearances in a Chelsea shirt.

Mikel also turned out in England in recent years for Middlesbrough and Stoke City in the Championship and released the following on his Instagram page on Tuesday afternoon…

"There is a saying that “all good things must come to an end”, and for my professional football career, that day is today," the post reads.

"I look back at the past 20 years of my career, and I must say that I am very satisfied with all that I was able to achieve and more importantly the human it has helped shape.

"All of this would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, managers, clubs, coaches, team-mates and most importantly my ever-loyal fans. You supported me through my highs and lows, even on days that I did not live up to your expectations. I say a big thank you.

"I will also like to encourage everyone who I may have inspired one way or the other in the course of my career to never give up on their dreams, for every time you think about quitting, remind yourself why you started.

"This is not goodbye, it’s the start of another journey, another chapter of my life. I look forward to what the future holds and I hope you will walk with me. Thank you".