Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has named a player who was “not normal” and said that Sir Alex Ferguson “knew” the exact same thing.
Ferguson would pounce on the opportunity to bring talented players to United, with the Scotsman later opening up on a player he wished he could have signed.
The 81-year-old legendary ex-United boss had a star-studded roster of footballers at Old Trafford, though Ferguson said he only managed four world-class players.
Ferguson, who recently brought back ‘Fergie time’ for one current United star, enjoyed a prolific run at the Red Devils and ended his iconic career in 2013.
The Scot led United to a whopping trophy haul of 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups, including a continental treble win in 1999.
Ferguson secured United’s last Premier League in 2013, with even Mourinho falling short of breaking the club’s league title drought during his run at Old Trafford.
The United legend had a fierce rivalry with Mourinho when the ‘Special One’ first arrived in England and Ferguson fought back against the ex-Chelsea boss’ tactics.
However, Mourinho had the last laugh over Ferguson when the 60-year-old Portuguese manager snapped up a player that the ex-United boss wanted to sign.
Mourinho talks to ex-United target John Obi Mikel
John Obi Mikel came close to signing for United and even famously appeared in a Red Devils shirt before his reported £4m transfer to Old Trafford collapsed.
The 36-year-old Chelsea hero had agreed to sign a pre-contract agreement with United in 2005, only for Mikel to make a U-turn and later sign for Chelsea.
Chelsea were later forced to pay United £12m and £4m to Norwegian side Lynn to ensure a deal that could bring Mikel to Stamford Bridge in 2006.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mourinho told Mikel and his co-host why he preferred to deploy the ex-United target as a No 4 rather than a No 10.
“In the national team, he can be what he wants, but not with me,” he said.
“I like everything [about Mikel], and if you go through my… I used to call it positional midfield players that I had all in my career, there are lots of similar things.
“A part of [Claude] Makelele that was small, I had them all tall and physically strong with a good occupation of the space, but then with what I call the simplicity of football, which is from the [mentality] of that position, and people sometimes confuse the creative player with the simple one, I think, in some areas the creative is fine and in some other areas the simplicity is the genius.”
Mourinho on Ferguson knowing about Mikel’s potential
Mikel, who opened up about his failed move to United, enjoyed a successful spell at Stamford Bridge and hoovered up major silverware at the Premier League club.
The former Nigeria international lifted two Premier League titles, a Champions League, a Europa League, four FA Cups and two League Cups with the Blues.
Mourinho, who has spoken openly of one figure at United right now, has insisted that Ferguson came to the same realisation as he did regarding Mikel.
Speaking to Mikel, he said: “One day I was asking for a young player to come because I needed a young player to make my [training] work well, they spoke with me about some Nigerian guy that was in Norway, the first question I asked was, ‘Oh, he’s 17, is he strong enough physically?’
“They told me, ‘Yeah, he is, so let him come.’ I was expecting some normal player. I saw immediately that he was not normal.
“Of course, Sir Alex also knew that he was not normal. And there was a fight that was not normal.
“But then everything ended in the best way for Chelsea and the best way for him because in the end he stayed at Chelsea I think [for] more than 10 years, he won everything, he won his money and he played Nigeria No 10.”
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