Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has revealed why he changed his mind about a move to Manchester United after signing a contract with the Premier League giants.
Mikel had the chance to play alongside the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and others at Man United some years ago but he chose to join Chelsea instead despite signing a contract with the Red Devils.
The 35-year-old has now revealed that he dumped Manchester United for Chelsea because of Jose Mourinho, Roman Abramovich and the great environment at Chelsea.
Mikel was only bested by Argentina’s Lionel Messi at the 2005 Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.
His performances saw him become the toast of many top European clubs after the tournament, with Manchester United and Chelsea the forerunners to sign him.
There were already pictures of Mikel with a Manchester United Jersey – a sign that the midfielder had joined the Old Trafford club.
However, the situation took an incredible turn as it was confirmed that Chelsea had swooped in for Mikel.
The transfer saga remains a mystery for many till now, but Mikel had his reasons for the change of heart.
“I was 18 years old and I just wanted to play football,” Mikel told Nigerian station Naija FM 102.7 in Lagos.
“I had already signed for Manchester United, but then I decided that I wanted to go to Chelsea because of Mourinho, and Roman Abramovich.
“Chelsea looked like a more exciting place to be, but I’m happy because it was one of the best decisions of my life.
“I enjoyed my time there, I stayed there for a very long time, I won everything. In the end, I won everything.”
Mikel’s decision to snub Man United did yield fruits as he left Stamford Bridge as a champion with eleven trophies to his name.