I couldn't decide between Man United and Chelsea - but an incredible gesture made up my mind

When Manchester United signed John Obi Mikel for £4million in April 2005 and staged a press conference to announce the exciting prospect's arrival, not many could have predicted what would happen next, as unprecedented twists and turns beckoned.

From secret meetings with Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho to being offered thousands of pounds inside a briefcase, the story of how the Nigerian signed for United but never played for the club is extraordinary.

It was the spring of 2005 and Mikel, 18, playing for Norwegian club Lyn at the time, had attracted attention from some of the world's biggest clubs with his performances and the Reds were quick to make their interest in signing the midfielder known.

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There were not many occasions when Ferguson didn't get what he wanted in the transfer market, but while Mikel would agree to join United, a bitter legal battle with Chelsea for his signature would soon ensue.

Ultimately Mikel swapped Chelsea for United at the 11th hour and this is the incredible story of how it happened.

Ahead of the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, the Nigerian Football Association mistakenly submitted 'Michael' as 'Mikel' for the tournament in Finland, but Mikel insisted on keeping it, although the wider world would know his name a few years later.

Nigeria failed to get out of their group in that tournament, with Costa Rica and Argentina progressing ahead of the Super Eagles, and while a certain fresh-faced Cesc Fabregas caught the eye with his goals for Spain, scouts were also impressed by Mikel.

Glowing reports from scouts of his displays in Finland