Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Joe Mewis

‘Mourinho had to put me in my place very quickly. He sent me to the academy, then brought me back when I was ready to know I was in the big boys’ league’ John Obi Mikel recalls his early Chelsea learning curve

John Obi Mikel and Jose Mourinho at a press conference.

Few transfers in Premier League history were as controversial as John Obi Mikel’s switch from Norwegian side Lyn Oslo to Chelsea in 2006.

The Nigerian teenager was one of football’s hottest properties and in April 2005, Manchester United announced they had sealed a deal to land the teenager, only for Chelsea to issue a counter claim, insisting that they had already struck an agreement with Mikel’s representatives.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.