“He needs to play” – 2013 AFCON winner gives verdict on Ten Hag and Sancho feud

John Mikel Obi enjoyed success at the Stanford Bridge, winning the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League in a trophy-laiden career.

2013 African Cup of Nations winner with the Super Eagles, Mikel Obi, has given his verdict on the ongoing feud with Jadon Sancho and Erik Ten Hag, Soccernet.ng reports.

The ex-Chelsea midfielder enjoyed tremendous success with club and country during his career stint at the Stamford Bridge.

Across nine years, Mikel won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, The English Premier League, the FA Cup, and the League cup.

Now 36, the ex-Pleateau United midfielder shared his thoughts on Jadon Sancho’s suspension from Manchester United’s first team.

The club coach, Erik Ten Hag, hinted that Sancho hadn’t performed optimally in training and thus, wasn’t picked for his team ahead of their game against Arsenal. The Englishman reacted by posting on his social media pages that he felt scapegoated by the coach.

Mikel shared his thoughts on the situation highlighting he wasn’t defending Sancho, but just sharing his honest thoughts.

“I’m not sitting here trying to defend Jadon, but, if anything, I think the manager has come out and thrown him under the bus, There’s been a few bad results and the team is not playing well, and you know the manager thought, I’ll find a scapegoat,” The 36-year-old mentioned on the Obi One Podcast.

The former Chelsea midfielder mentioned the need for Sancho to play.

“Which a little bit is kind of what Sancho felt
I don’t know how it’s going to go, but I hope they resolve it. He’s a top player and he needs to play.”

An exit from Old Trafford is on the cards, with Borussia Dortmund interested in welcoming Sancho for a second stint.

“He’s young, he’s 23, and hasn’t even reached his peak yet . Still very far away from that, so I hope they resolve it and he can be back on the pitch soon, but if not, then he has to move on,”Mikel added.

Ten Hag mentioned that Sancho still has a future at the club if he apologizes, but the Englishman has refused to do so.