Mikel Agu

Early career

Mikel Agu started his career with grassroots team Megapp FC in Nigeria. He took part in the 2009 Copa Coca-Cola, where he was chosen as the best player of the tournament, attracting the interest of scouts. After the tournament, Agu joined the youth academy of Porto.

Porto

Agu was first signed under the Porto-U 19 setup training with the senior team with the occasional bench appearance. His development would see him play 2 seasons for Porto B before eventually getting an opportunity to play for the first team. Agu made his debut against Gil Vicente in a 2–1 win coming as a substitute for Josué. Doing so, he became the first Nigerian to play for the club. Following his wonderful performance in Porto B, the then manager Paulo Fonseca promoted him to the main team. He would then be sent on loan to gain experience playing in the first division. Seeking playing opportunities at Porto, Agu was deployed mostly in the Porto B team, with whom he made 69 league appearances between 2012 and 2016. He completed over 30 appearances in each of the 2012–13 and 20–2014 seasons.

Loans

At the start of the 2015/2016 season, after making one appearance for Porto B, he went on loan to Club Brugge in the Belgian Jupiler league. He made just two league appearances as Brugge finished the season as league champions. Agu was loaned back to the Portuguese league for the 2016–17 season, which served somewhat as a breakout season for him. He made 27 league…

He was selected by Nigeria for their 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Agu made his senior debut for Nigeria in a 3-0 friendly win over Togo on 1 June 2017. In May 2018 he was named in Nigeria's preliminary 30 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, he did not make the final 23.

Agu's style of play can be likened to former Chelsea player John Obi Mikel. He received the nickname "Mikel" from fans in Benin City, where he grew up, due to similarities in movement and overall play. He has an excellent close-control and has shown a very good passing range, complementing this with the vision to play long balls from the back. On occasion, he has shown the ability to control the tempo of the game. Defensively, he shows good anticipation and does not rush into his tackles, positioning himself just in front of the back four.

Club

Club Brugge Belgian Pro League: 2015–16 Belgian Cup: Runner-up 2015–16

Individual

Tournament MVP Copa Coca-Cola, 2009