Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has revealed that he got a death stare from Manchester United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson for picking the Blues over the Red Devils. He claims that the Scotsman eventually forgave him.
Mikel was in high demand in 2005 when he played for Lyn Oslo. Manchester United secured a deal to get him to Old Trafford in January 2006, but Chelsea argued that they had already reached an agreement with the player and his agents.
After complaints to FIFA, Chelsea reached an agreement with Manchester United and Lyn to secure the midfielder for £16 million. Mikel recalled his first meeting with Sir Alex after the controversial transfer and said on The Debrief Podcast:
"I saw him one time, it was Manchester United against Chelsea, I was coming out of the dressing room and as I was coming out of the door at the corner he was coming out and I just s*** myself."
He added:
"I can't remember what happened, I think I tripped up on the stairs, he looked at me and he just walked out. He started chewing his gum and just walked out. He didn't say a word. It was a death stare. I met him a few times after that and we started talking about it and he forgot about it and forgave me."
Mikel went on to play 372 matches for Chelsea and was a key figure in the midfield for them.
Why did John Obi Mikel pick Chelsea over Manchester United?
John Obi Mikel has revealed that he had three other Nigerian players depending on him as Chelsea had signed them along with him. He claims that he decided to stay in London to help the trio who were sharing the house with him.
Mikel has revealed that he was asked to stay away from the media and only a few people knew where he was in London during the tussle between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Soon, he got a call from FIFA and they asked him to make a quick decision as they did not want to pick his next club.
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