Chief Michael Obi, the father of professional footballer and Super Eagles Captain, John Mikel Obi, has opened up on the kind of relationship he shares with his celebrity son.

Pa Obi, 74, said that were it not for an opportunity created by the just concluded World Cup in Russia, it would have been five years since he last spoke to Mikel on phone.

According to him, the Super Eagles’ skipper once confided in one of his brothers that anytime he wants to call their dad, something tells him not to do so.

He said in an interview with Daily Trust newspaper: “My relationship with Mikel is an issue, but we don’t know what to do. It’s over five years now without a phone call from him to me. But he communicates with his mother.

“There is nothing I have not done to fix it. God has told me that I should not feel hurt. When we start to talk about it, I say, ‘Well, as long as I see him on TV, doing great, no problem’.

“During the just-concluded World Cup, one or two days to one of their matches, we spoke. He called his mum, and she told me that Nchekwube (Mikel) was on the phone and I told him that God will see him through. I prayed for him. That’s it.

“When he first joined Chelsea, my people in Anambra were very happy that God has blessed their son, and when he came to Abuja, they prepared very well with the hope that he will come to our hometown. They even made some magazines. It was grand. But he didn’t come. It was a shameful thing to me, as a father.

“He once told his brother that sometimes he picks his phone to call me, but something tells him not to.

“Sometime last year, he was to bring his twins so that I could name them, he said he would. But he didn’t. His other colleagues frequent home, so I don’t understand.”