Former Charlton Athletic, Swindon Town, and Oxford United player Jonathan Obika has declared his retirement. The striker has decided to retire at the age of 33.
Obika, originally from London, is now the new first-team coach for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.
He said on his X account: “This month was the first time I looked back on my adventure. The lending window stuck out to me. I’ve had a unique career where I’ve been on loan 12 times. Learning each club’s culture and ideology, developing relationships, and adapting to new situations. When you recognize the challenge, it is critical to take on that duty for others.
“The game taught me a lot. I’d like to thank everyone involved in my career, including family, friends, players, coaches, managers, clubs, and fans. You gave me everything. As I begin my new role as a first team coach at @motherwellfc, I am delighted to give back to the game that has given me so much.”
Obika began his career at Tottenham Hotspur and progressed through the Premier League club’s academy system.
He was a regular at the North London club’s youth divisions and made four appearances for the first squad as a youngster.
Tottenham farmed out the former England youth international to Yeovil Town, Millwall, Crystal Palace, Swindon Town, Peterborough United, and Brighton & Hove Albion to gain experience.
Obika has two stints in The Valley with Charlton Athletic, scoring three goals in 22 appearances. Swindon Town signed him permanently in 2014, and he scored 28 goals in 108 games for the Robins.
After three years at the County Ground, he was attracted away by Oxford United, where he scored eight goals in 57 outings.
Recent years
Obika left the Kassam Stadium for Scotland in 2019 and made his first move crossing the border when St Mirren came knocking.
He returned to Morecambe after the club’s promotion to League One under Derek Adams before joining Motherwell. The striker is now set to begin a new chapter as a coach at Fir Park, working under Stuart Kettlewell.
