John Obi Mikel lifts lid on Man Utd trials and ‘good’ relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson

John Obi Mikel has revealed that he had a ‘good’ relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson after being invited on trial at Manchester United at the age of 16, with memories of Roy Keane being his own personal bodyguard.

Two years after John Obi Mikel had trials at Manchester United, it was announced that he would move to Old Trafford from Norwegian club Lyn Oslo for £4 million.

Pictures can be found of Mikel in a United shirt at a press conference, looking happy with the move, until he claimed he’d been pressured into signing for the Red Devils without his agents present.

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Mikel eventually signed for Chelsea following a legal battle, with the London outfit agreeing to pay £12 million to United as well as £4 million to Lyn Oslo.

Chelsea had only Nigerian players, which would have influenced his decision, but it was a move that shocked many given Mikel had already been on trial at United.

Sir Alex Ferguson ‘loved’ John Obi Mikel

Mikel went on to become a loyal servant at Chelsea – especially under Jose Mourinho – and he spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge.

The former Nigeria international won the Champions League in 2012 and the Europa League a year later, as well as two Premier League titles.

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Nowadays, Mikel is a pundit with his own podcast – but he often appears elsewhere to air his views on football.

The 38-year-old has told Sky Sports News about his trials at United.

“I was a 16-year-old kid,” Mikel said.

“I went on trials at Man United with Fergie for like a month.

“Fergie loved me. I remember when I trained with United. He used to always pair me with Roy Keane.

“He thought Roy Keane would protect me from the likes of Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. They were always tackling people in training.”

Mikel doesn’t explain whether he thinks Ferguson’s opinion changed after he signed for Chelsea instead of United.

It was a brave decision and one that cost him more trophies.

Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson perfectly captures the ethos of believing in youngsters 🔥👏

Giving young people an opportunity is a fantastic thing and they very seldom let you down. These lads never let me down when they put that jersey on.

Sir Alex Ferguson speaking at the opening of Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium in 2017

What did John Obi Mikel say about losing a Champions League final against Man Utd?

Mikel was part of the Chelsea squad that lost the 2008 final in Moscow against United.

The Nigerian remained on the bench throughout the match and never came on.

Reflecting on the disappointment he felt, Mikel previously told FourFourTwo: “I was on the bench and I was so disappointed that I didn’t start or even come on. I was sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my God, that would have been my first Champions League trophy.

“If I’d gone to Manchester United, I would have been a Champions League winner right now’. I felt that if I’d played in that game, the outcome might have been a bit different.

“But I used that disappointment to fuel me when we reached the final again in 2012, against Bayern Munich. During those years, I never gave up.

“As a team, we never gave up; we knew we could still win the Champions League. When we got to the final in 2012, that was the last chance for the likes of JT, Lamps, Petr Cech and Drogba.

“They were all going to leave the club soon, so it was our last chance to give them, and give Roman Abramovich, that trophy. It had become an obsession for us.

“That game was the biggest stage of my life – I thought ‘I don’t know when I’ll be playing in a Champions League final again’.

“It was my best game in Chelsea colours – I had an amazing game. Up until Didier Drogba scored our equaliser, then later scored the winning penalty, I think I was going to win our man of the match. It was down to how much I wanted it, how much we all wanted it. We were the first London team to win the Champions League.”

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