Why I changed my mind on Manchester United move – Mikel Obi

The former Super Eagles had the chance to play alongside the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and others, but he chose to trod on the path to London

Retired Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel has revealed that he dumped Manchester United for Chelsea because of Jose Mourinho and the great environment at the club.

Mikel was only bested by Argentine magician Lionel Messi at the 2005 Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. His performances saw him become the toast of many top European teams after the tournament, with Manchester United and Chelsea the forerunners to sign the Nigerian star.

There were already pictures of Mikel with a Manchester United Jersey- a sign that he had joined the Manchester giants.

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 the former Super Eagles captain had his reasons for the change of heart.

“I was 18 years old and I just wanted to play football,” Mikel told Naija Fm as per Jobless boy.

“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 did yield fruits,  as he left Stamford Bridge as a champion with eleven trophies to his name.