For the latest from the pitch sign up for our football newsletter
Thank you for subscribing!
For the latest from the pitch sign up for our football newsletter
We have more newsletters
John Obi Mikel had to tell FIFA he signed for Manchester United by "accident" so he could force through a move to Chelsea.
In 2005, the Nigerian lit the fuse on one of the most spectacular transfer disputes in Premier League history, when he signed for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and even posed for pictures in a United shirt. However, he then went on to join Chelsea days later for £18million, in a deal which saw the Red Devils receive £14m and Norwegian side Lyn paid £4m.
As the confusion between United and Chelsea continued to escalate, Mikel had a lot of explaining to do.
READ MORE: Luton star forgets he doesn’t play for Man Utd anymore and goes in wrong dressing room
READ MORE: Dave Brailsford starts revamp of Man Utd today as Jim Ratcliffe's man arrives at Carrington
Join the Daily Star's WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we'll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
"Sir Alex thought he got me, yeah. I did the press conference and it was everywhere,” Mikel said to talkSPORT. “Then obviously Roman [Abramovich], everybody at Chelsea, saw it and they were like, 'What's going on here? We've been looking at this player for two or three years now, what's happening here?'
"Obviously they sent my agent down to Lyn and then he came down to Norway, and then for a couple of hours I went missing. He took me out from my apartment where I used to live with a couple of my friends.
What other unforgettable transfer disputes do you remember? Let us know in the comment section below
As well as the Champions League, TNT Sports will also be offering sports fans access to games across the Premier League, Europa League, Serie A and much more.
You can also watch the biggest events in boxing, UFC, WWE and get exclusive action from MLB.
£29.99 per month on top of £8.99 per month Amazon Prime subscription
"He was like, 'we need to go back to London, I need to get you out of Norway right now because what you've done right now, it's so much of a problem with Chelsea and Roman is not happy.'
“So my agent took me to a hotel and then the next morning we flew down to London, and the rest was history. Then it took me about a year, I couldn't play for either United or Chelsea because FIFA was like, 'OK we need to resolve this.' So I went to FIFA and I was like, 'I didn't mean to sign for United'."
Mikel went on to make 372 appearances for the Blues, contributing six goals and 13 assists.
Throughout this period, he played a huge part in winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Europa League and two League Cups.
- Manchester United FC
- Chelsea FC
- Premier League
- Sir Alex Ferguson
Source: Read Full Article