FACT CHECK: Fake Quote About Africa Football Star, Mikel Attributed to Top EPL Midfielder

An artwork that has been widely shared on both Facebook and Twitter attributes a quote to Ruben Neves, a Portuguese footballer who currently plies his trade in the English Premier League (EPL). It reads: "Back in Porto, we were given DVDs of John Obi Mikel to take home and study everyday. We used to call him the Professor of football."

Although this claim has been in the cyberspace since 2019, it resurfaced in March 2021, with several social media users on Facebook and Twitter posting again. During the time it first emerged, Mikel himself had innocently uploaded the copy on his verified Instagram page with the caption 'I am honoured', accompanied by a football emoji.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Neves spent three years at European football giants, FC Porto, prior to joining Wolves in 2017, a club he is now a key member.

Neves is a lifelong supporter of FC Porto and has some impressive records with 'the Dragons', including being the youngest player to start as captain in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), as well as the youngest player to reach 50 games for the two-time Champions League winners.

Mikel - presently with Stoke City - on the other hand, is considered a Chelsea legend.

The former Super Eagles captain was a mainstay at the London club where he spent 11 years marshalling the midfield.

In fact, he is second on the list of African players with most Chelsea appearances.

So-called Neves quote on Mikel fabricated

The post appears to tell an inspiring story of two-time Premier League winner, Mikel, but what's the source of Neves' quote about Mikel?

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Mikel has no affiliation whatsoever with FC Porto. He has only played against Neves and FC Porto in his career.

A Twitter account of a Chelsea fan, @ThatMunichNight cooked up the quote around March 2019.

Porto did not label Mikel 'Professor of Football'.

There is no credible source for that quote, and there is no available bankable information in the public space regarding Neves speaking about Mikel.

Sensing subsequently that the quote is a hoax, Mikel removed the link from his official Instagram, as it can no more be found on his page.