Was Super Eagles legend Mikel right to choose Chelsea over Manchester United in 2005?

Super Eagles legendary midfielder Mikel Obi's decision to choose Chelsea ahead of Manchester United in the summer of 2006/2007 was a highly controversial issue.

Having initially signed for Manchester United in 2005 and posing in the shirt, the midfielder moved to Stamford Bridge with the Blues paying a 16 million pounds fee, 12 million as compensation to Manchester United and 4 million to Lyn Oslo.

The legend later revealed that he was not thinking only about himself when he made his decision.

He had been thinking about the futures of three Nigerians who were signed earlier by the Blues and were staying at the house with him in London.

While it is beautiful for human feelings that Mikel thought about others before making his decision, was he right to let the future of others influence his decision?

Professional football careers are short ones. This is why modern players make decisions based on logic rather than sentiments or emotions.

While there is still passion in the game, Mikel has never said he supported Chelsea while growing up or been a fan.

It is quite easier for a youngster's career to nosedive if he is being nurtured in the wrong environment.

Traditionally, Manchester United are bigger than Chelsea and as Mikel himself pointed out in his own words, "My Dad wasn't too pleased about what happened either. He wanted me to go to Manchester United because he loved Alex Ferguson.

"Back home in Nigeria, a lot of people were saying I should go to United because of how well they work with young players, whereas Chelsea just bought superstars".

This is a true statement, if Mikel didn't adapt quickly, he could have been discarded by the club and loaned out until he joined one of the lower-ranked teams.

In hindsight, Mikel made a good choice as he became very successful and won a lot of trophies including Chelsea's maiden UEFA Champions League trophy.

However, as right as it seemed, everything could easily have gone wrong and the reason would point back to his sentimental decision. Thankfully, such was not the case.

Sofoluwe Mayowa

Photo Credit : chelseafc.com

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