Sir Alex Ferguson forgave John Obi Mikel for choosing Chelsea over Manchester United, but not before a meeting which left the Nigerian admitting he "s*** himself".
United thought they had wrapped up a deal for the in-demand midfielder, who had caught the eye with his performances for Nigeria's age-group teams. The Red Devils had even presented the Lyn star in their kit, seemingly making the deal official, only for things to go south.
The situation angered United boss Ferguson, who had met with Mikel twice before he opted to join big-spending Chelsea instead. And later, when the Blues travelled to Old Trafford, manager and player came face to face once more.
"I saw him one time, it was Manchester United against Chelsea," Mikel told The Debrief Podcast (via The Mail). "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
"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," he added. "I met him a few times after that and we started talking about it and he forgot about it and forgave me."
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Now 36, Mikel has retired from the game after spending 10 years at Chelsea followed by further spells in Turkey, England and Kuwait. He played more than 350 games for the Blues, winning Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.
There was also Champions League glory, with the midfield man playing the full 120 minutes as Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in the 2012 final. However, he has still been unable to forget Ferguson's instant reaction upon learning he would be moving to Stamford Bridge.
"He really liked me but I could see how angry and disappointed he was," Mikel told The Sun in 2019.. "Fergie told me: ‘Why would you turn down United? It’s the biggest club in the world. You cannot do that. You have to say Yes’.”
Ferguson, however, didn't blame the then-teenage midfielder for the move falling through. “I don't believe it's true that Mikel doesn't want to join Manchester United; I believe he has been forced to say it,” Ferguson said in 2005 when United learned they would miss out.
“His family have been put under huge pressure and the circumstances are very sad. The manner in which he and his family have been treated and pressurised is, quite frankly, disgusting."
