Former Liverpool FC star Peter Crouch has apologised to former Nigeria’s Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi for the reckless tackle he made on the Chelsea legend during their playing days.
Crouch made a two-footed lunge on Mikel during the quarterfinals of the English League Cup (now known as Carabao Cup) between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in 2007, and he feels he deservedly got red carded.
When reflecting on the incident Crouch stated that it felt like “three red cards” when he saw the incident again, but he revealed that Mikel had been teasing him during the match which Chelsea won 2-0.
“The worst tackle I ever did was on Obi Mikel. Liverpool against Chelsea in the Carling Cup. The whole game I’ve been receiving balls and he’s been basically told to mark in front of me,” Crouch said.
“So the center-half is behind me, and him and here. And he’s basically standing all over my toes and I’m trying to chest things away and he’s putting his head in my face and his elbows around me all game.
“I’ve been telling the ref all game, all game, all game and I’m getting nothing. We’re about 70 minutes in now and it’s been going on all game,” the former England International continued.
“And it’s happened again and the ball has broken off and another one of these elbows and things he’s done to me – the ball’s broken there just posted perfectly and he’s facing the stand and obviously I’ve switched, lost the plot and tried to take him out basically.”
He added, “But I’m not proud of this, if he’s listening to this, which I think in no way he’ll be John Obi Mikel, I’d have to apologies because the red mist was that… it was like an outer body experience.
“After the game, I thought he’d dived! Afterwards I got back, and I thought I’ll have a look back at that tackle. I had a look and I thought, oh no! (laughs). That’s in fact three red cards!
“What on earth was I thinking. It’s just something that I can’t explain. He’d been winding up the entire game and now I just completely lost it.”
Mikel, 34, is currently a free agent after being let go by Kuwaiti Premier League giants, Al Kuwait SC last November.
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