Old transfer saga: Ferguson has forgiven me, says Mikel Obi

Former Super Eagles skipper, John Obi Mikel, has hinted that his past issues have long been forgiven by former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

In a rare post on his verified Instagram handle, the former Chelsea defensive midfielder assured fans that he has been forgiven by the retired Scottish manager, who once had a stern look on his face when they met on the touchline.

“He has forgiven me,” Mikel wrote on his Instagram post, sharing a picture of himself with Ferguson.

Mikel previously revealed that he was not given enough time to make up his mind before signing with Manchester United.

In an exclusive chat with Sky Sports News, the former Stoke City star said the contract was not signed of his own free will.

“I signed a contract with Manchester United and I didn’t do that of my own free will,” Mikel told Sky Sports News in 2006. “I was put under a lot of pressure to do that. I was denied advice from my agent and people I trust, and I didn’t get much time to think about it.

“I did something I did not want to do. Because of the pressure from Mr. Morgan (Andersen, Lyn’s sporting director) and a representative of United, it became too much. I was pushed and I had nobody on my side, so I had to do it. I was denied a chance to have a week to think about it and get some independent advice from people, so the pressure was too much.”

Ferguson was expected to fly to Norway for crisis talks but had to cancel his trip after he was told that the Nigerian had gone missing from training in Norway and was thought to be heading to London for talks with Chelsea.

Eventually, renowned agent John Ola Shittu ensured the youngster became a Chelsea player, where he won 11 trophies.

Nineteen years later, the retired footballer met with Ferguson on the night of the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, where both parties had a pleasant time.

Mikel was one of the best young football prospects in the world after representing Nigeria at the 2005 Under-17 FIFA World Cup. He was then signed by Norwegian side Lyn Oslo with United showing interest.

Mikel was seen in a United shirt, but the move sensationally broke down after Chelsea intervened, and Mikel said he felt pressured into the move.