John Obi Mikel became one of Chelsea’s most decorated players, winning the Champions League, Europa League, two Premier Leagues, two League Cups and four FA Cups in an 11-year spell which ended when he left Stamford Bridge in 2017. However, it could have happened much differently if a bitter dispute between the Red Devils and the Blues in 2005 in United’s favour.Back then, the midfielder who retired last week at the age of 35, decided to move to London, having initially signed for the Manchester side from Norwegian club Lyn Oslo.”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.”John Obi Mikel I’m rejecting Manchester United 🗣“I will never forget that meeting with Alex Ferguson. He looked so angry and disappointed with me because I’d signed a deal at United but had to tell him…‘Sorry, I want to play for Chelsea’.I absolutely love him 😍 pic.twitter.com/ExT5Q5vSz3— Uber Chelsea FC ⭐️⭐️ (@UberCheIseaFC) September 16, 2020 It did not go without some major drama. After much back and forth, Chelsea were shocked when the young talent signed for their rivals. His agent John Shittu immediately travelled to Oslo to take the player to London – however, the Norwegian club declared him missing soon after! With erroneous reports Mikel had been kidnapped – the news was all over Norwegian TV.”I acted as a young kid and as soon as Chelsea heard the news, they came and got me out of Norway,” recalled the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner.”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.”Obi Mikel started his career as an attacking midfielder and shot to the limelight as a traditional number 10 behind the strikers with Nigeria’s Under-17 and Under-20 sides, helping the latter reach the final of the 2005 U20 World Cup.Years later, then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho converted the Nigerian into a holding midfielder, moving him to a role he played throughout his stay at the West London club. Fans back home were not fond of the Portuguese’s decision – they watched Mikel thrive as an attacking midfielder, with many critical of his new role at Chelsea. But Mikel insists he had no issues with the switch to becoming a defensive player.”[Claude] Makelele was just finishing his career at Chelsea, so Mourinho wanted me to take over from Makelele. At the end of the day, he is the coach and made the decision,” Mikel recalled.”We discussed and he felt that because of the big midfield players he had in his squad at Chelsea that I should play the defensive midfield role.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6697009##The best years of his career followed. “I always wanted to win the Champions League because it is the best football tournament in the world apart from the World Cup,” he added.”To then win something with the national team was great. As a kid watching the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha and Kanu, I said I want to win something with the national team.”I am so happy to have managed to do that. I will rank both of them top as my most cherished trophies.”Mikel won 89 caps for Nigeria, played in two World Cups and helped the West Africans win the 2013 Nations Cup, before announcing his retirement from international football three years ago. He was also one of Nigeria’s three over-age players as the African side he was captaining won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.Once you see Mikel and Mourinho like this, just know it’s game over.John Obi Mikel – the human full-time whistle. pic.twitter.com/6MhvHUuHCj— 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗸𝘄𝘂𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗸𝗮 (@ChuxEkere) September 27, 2022 Now looking to give back to the beautiful game and his country, one of Nigeria’s most decorated footballers wants to use his contacts in Europe to give exposure to exceptional players discovered at his ‘Back2Base’ academy.”It is a platform where you go to the basics, where I started from, which is playing on the red sand, around stones and hard rocks,” he explained.”We want to go get these raw talents, these kids that we know can become something in life.””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.”Just imagine one of the most successful Super Eagles giving over a decade of his life and career to Old Trafford and not Stamford Bridge. One of the many footballs massive ‘what if’ stories, right?John Obi Mikel retires from active football at 35.An absolute Nigeria and Chelsea LEGEND. Part of the good stories. A very successful football career he had. Thank you, Obi! ❤️ ⚽ pic.twitter.com/dpwOERab4f— Dr. Clive Sugar George (@SUGARCLYVE) September 27, 2022
