Man United legend Scholes settles debate about claims Mourinho ruined Obi Mikel

For years, a heated debate has persisted among football purists: did Jose Mourinho ‘ruin’ John Obi Mikel by converting the Nigerian prodigy from a flair-filled Number 10 into a disciplined defensive anchor?

While fans often point to Mikel's attacking brilliance at the 2005 U-20 World Cup as evidence of lost potential, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has finally weighed in, suggesting that Mikel was always destined for the base of the midfield.

Speaking with Sky Sports, Scholes recalled the ‘hype’ surrounding the teenager when he first arrived at Carrington and offered a professional perspective that challenges the popular narrative.

Even as a teenager, Mikel didn't just blend in with United’s superstars; he stood out. Scholes noted that it was rare for someone so young to be fast-tracked into senior sessions, a move orchestrated by Ferguson’s trusted staff.

“I remember a bit of hype around him. I think he was very, very young at the time, and maybe 16, 17, but I remember Jim Ryan, who was an assistant manager and coach at the time, bringing him over to join him to train with us. It's not very often 16, 17 year olds join in with the first team, but there was a presence about him.”

Scholes admitted that Mikel’s talent was so evident it actually triggered his own competitive instincts when the then Nigerian youngster arrived at United on trials.

The United icon revealed that the coaching staff saw Mikel, who has revealed Sir Alex paired him with Roy Keane at the base, not as a creative winger or a second striker, but as the archetypal midfield general, the very role Mourinho would later perfect him in at Chelsea.

“Probably got a little bit competitive when I knew there was somebody trying to take my place. You knew there was quality there, there was a presence about him. The size was there. The quality on the ball was there. He was a classic number 6 really.”

While Mourinho is often blamed for stifling Mikel’s creativity, Scholes argues that the qualities Mikel displayed in training at United were exactly what made him an elite defensive midfielder.

According to Scholes, being a Number 6 didn't mean Mikel lacked skill; rather, it was the position that best utilised his full range of abilities.

“He broke up play, but that wasn't all he had. He could pass the ball as well. He had the odd goal in him here and there.”

By labelling him a ‘classic number 6’ long before he ever met Mourinho, Scholes’ revelation suggests that the Special One didn't change Mikel’s career path.

Mourinho simply recognised the same world-class defensive potential that the Manchester United staff had seen years earlier.