Former Chelsea and Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has disclosed that Manchester United’s failure to sign him at 16 had nothing to do with talent, but everything to do with restrictive eligibility rules targeting young African players.

Speaking during an interview with Sky Sports, Mikel revealed he spent an entire month training at Old Trafford as a teenager, rubbing shoulders with the Manchester United first team under the watchful eye of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

According to Mikel, Ferguson wasted no time integrating him into elite-level sessions, regularly placing him among senior midfielders despite his tender age.

He recalled that the United boss deliberately paired him with then-captain Roy Keane during training to shield him from aggressive challenges.

“Fergie loved me,” Mikel said. “He always put me with Roy Keane because he felt Keane would protect me from players like Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who were always flying into tackles.”

Despite Ferguson’s clear interest, Mikel explained that a Premier League regulation ultimately killed the move before it could take off.

“At the time, you had to have played at least 75 percent of your national team’s matches to qualify,” he explained.

Mikel said he had not yet featured for Nigeria’s senior national team, instantly disqualifying him under the rule.

His age also proved a decisive stumbling block, as he was ineligible to play competitive first-team football for United.

“The plan was to bring me in quietly and get me out before I turned 18,” Mikel added, “but that just wasn’t possible.”