“FERGIE loved me – he used to always pair me with Roy Keane.”
That is the remarkable claim from John Obi Mikel, who has spoken about what it was like to have a trial at Manchester United before his controversial move to Chelsea.
Mikel, then just 16, was invited to train with United’s first team under Sir Alex Ferguson after impressing as one of Europe’s brightest prospects.
And, instead of easing him in, Ferguson threw the youngster straight into the deep end.
Mikel says the legendary Scot repeatedly lined him up alongside Keane during full-contact sessions at Carrington.
Speaking about the experience, Mikel recalled how Ferguson took a clear shine to him and got him to face United’s fiercest competitors in midfield, consistently going up against the likes of Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.
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But the Nigerian legend did admit that Ferguson paired him withKeane to “protect” him.
Mikel said: “I remember when I used to train with United, he used to always pair me up with Roy Keane.
“He thought Roy Keane would protect me from the likes of Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who were always tackling people in training.”
Scholes admitted that while Mikel was there, things became “competitive” because he knew someone was trying to take his place.
The United legend also labelled him as the “classic number six”.
Training with United for only a month, the former Chelsea midfielder says his relationship with Sir Alex was “really good”, one that showed Ferguson trusted him to cope with the highest standards.
Despite United believing they had an agreement in place, Mikel ultimately joined Chelsea in 2006 following a bitter tug-of-war that involved Fifa and the Premier League.
Mikel, now 38, would go on to spend 11 trophy-laden years at Stamford Bridge, winning two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, the Europa League and the Champions League.
Representing his country Nigeria 97 times, he achieved a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games and won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Regardless of his success at Chelsea, Mikel insists his Old Trafford trial left a lasting impression.
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