‘Rejecting Man Utd the best decision of my life,’ claims ex-Chelsea star
Robin Bairner
- 5 Oct 2022 09:31 BST
- 3 min read
Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Jon Obi says it was the best decision of his life to turn down a move to Manchester United.
Now retired, the former Nigeria international played for the Blues between 2006 and 2017, yet the path of his career could have been very different if he had moved to Man Utd from Lyn when he was still a teenager.
Indeed, the Old Trafford side announced that he had signed a four-year deal with the club and he was even pictured holding up a Man Utd shirt with the No.21 on it. Ultimately, though, the deal broke down amid a war with Chelsea, who claimed they also had an agreement with the player. The issue was settled between the two clubs in the Blues’ favour.
And on Mikel’s part, he would not change anything.
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“I don't regret any decision I made because I enjoyed everything I achieved at Chelsea - it's the best decision I have ever made in my life,” Mikel told BBC Sport Africa.
“I signed a pre-contract for Manchester United when I was 17. If you are a kid and you see Sir Alex Ferguson right in front of you with the contract, of course you will be tempted.”
Kidnapping rumours
Amid the transfer drama, which saw a public tug of war between Man Utd and Chelsea, Mikel took himself quietly to London, while Lyn declared that he was missing.
“I acted as a young kid and as soon as Chelsea heard the news, they came and got me out of Norway,” he added.
“That's when people started saying that I was kidnapped. It wasn't a great moment for me then. I just wanted to play football because I was so young.”
Your incredible MOTM performance in Munich will never be forgotten, and the few times you actually scored were pure ecstasy. Forever underrated.
Happy retirement, Jon Obi Mikel! 💙pic.twitter.com/dN44TD6G7C— ⭐️ Chels HQ ⭐️ (@Chels_HQ) September 27, 2022
Mikel’s academy
Now Mikel runs an academy and wants to provide young players who were in his position with a similar chance to go to Europe and sign.
“If any of the talents is up to what we are looking for, then we will definitely provide the chance for them to go abroad,” he said.
“I have been out of Nigeria for so many years, but I have my connections. We need to first of all get them to establish themselves here, then we will see who is ready to go over there.”
Having played more than 370 matches for Chelsea, Mikel is regarded as one of Nigeria’s greatest ever players, and he successfully overcame the controversy of his false Man Utd transfer early in his career.
