AFCON 2025
John Obi Mikel has shed light on the circumstances that led to his eventual move to Chelsea, despite initially agreeing to join Manchester United and holding direct talks with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Speaking on the matter in an interview with TNT Sports, Mikel recounted how his journey to Stamford Bridge began: “My first trial was with Manchester United. After the Under-17 tournament, I went there for trials. And then United thought, ‘Spend two, three months with us, and then go back home, and come back. And when you become 18, you can sign a professional contract’.”
Following this trial period, Mikel returned to Nigeria as advised. However, it was during this time that Chelsea became aware of his availability. “So I went back home and then Chelsea heard about the whole thing, that I was back home. And they sent an agent to Nigeria to come and get me to go to trials at Chelsea,” he explained.
Impressed by his performance during trials, Chelsea moved swiftly to secure his services. “I went to trials at Chelsea and they liked me and wanted me to sign. So they thought, ‘Okay, we’re not going to make the same mistake as United by sending you back home. We’re going to send you to Norway’,” Mikel stated.
He was subsequently placed at Norwegian club Lyn Oslo, where he made a single appearance before turning 18.
By the time he was eligible to sign a professional contract, Manchester United had reignited their interest. “United went to find out where I was, and then they sent an agent to come to Oslo,” Mikel added.
At the time of his decision in 2006, Manchester United were firmly established as one of the dominant forces in English football.
However, Mikel was drawn to the ambitious project unfolding at Chelsea under José Mourinho. “When you look at both teams, you have a team that has already won everything, that’s made history, and you have a team, with a young manager that’s just come to the Premier League, Jose Mourinho, that wants to build something special at Chelsea; to create history at Chelsea,” he explained.
He further justified his decision: “And when I look at both teams, I thought, why don’t I just go to Chelsea where I could be part of history. Because at United they had won everything anyway. And it turned out to be a great decision. And of course, who wouldn’t want to live in London over Manchester?”
John Obi Mikel would go on to enjoy an illustrious 11-year career at Chelsea, making 372 appearances, scoring six goals, and winning 11 major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.
