Midfielder Jon Mikel Obi has left Stoke City after the club cancelled his contract by mutual consent.

The 34-year-old made 41 appearances in two seasons and his deal still had another 12 months left to run.

Mikel joined Stoke from Turkish club Trabzonspor having previously spent 11 years with Chelsea and half a season at Middlesbrough.

Boss Michael O'Neill said there was an agreement that he could leave for a "significant overseas opportunity".

He added: "John is a fantastic professional and was a huge presence for us last season both on and off the field, particularly with the young players in our first-team squad.

Mikel made 249 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, which ended when he left Stamford Bridge in 2017.

He won the Champions League and Europa League, two Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and the League Cup during his time with the London club.

Mikel won 89 caps for Nigeria, played in two World Cups and helped the Super Eagles win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, before announcing his retirement from international football two years ago.