Why Mikel’s Man United Trial Failed: Eligibility Rules

Former Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, has revealed that Manchester United were unable to sign him during a trial because of eligibility rules for young African players.

According to an interview with Sky Sports seen by PUNCH Online on Tuesday, Mikel said he was just 16 when he spent a month on trial at Old Trafford and trained regularly with the first team.

He added that then-manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was impressed with him and often paired him with veteran midfielder, Roy Keane, during training.

“Fergie loved me. He would always pair me with Roy Keane because he thought Keane would protect me from the likes of Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who were always tackling people in training,” Mikel said.

However, despite Ferguson’s interest, Mikel said he could not sign for United due to a Premier League rule governing the signing of young African players.

“At the time, the rule required players to have represented their national team in at least 75% of matches before being eligible to sign,” he said.

Mikel said he had not yet played for Nigeria’s national team, which meant he did not meet the requirement.

He also noted that because he was 16, he was not permitted to play for the first team, preventing United from completing the move.

“The strategy was to get me in and out before I turned 18,” Mikel explained, referring to the club’s approach to signing young talents, “but that wasn’t possible in my case.”

Mikel’s revelation sheds light on the obstacles faced by young African footballers seeking moves to top European clubs, even when they have the support of high-profile managers.