Former English Striker Beg Super Eagles midfielder

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has humbled submitted a public apology to John Mikel Obi over an incident that happened between them back in 2007.

The former England international has made the confession that his tough tackle on the former Super Eagles captain almost 13 years ago was the worst action he ever took in his entire career.

The two legendary players came together against each other when Chelsea side played against Liverpool for a place in the semi-finals of the League cup.

Current Chelsea Boss Frank Lampard scored one and sharp Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko netted the second to secured the victory for the Blues. But one of the talking points of the encounter was when Crouch saw red for a reckless tackle on John Mikel Obi, with scores still at 1-0 in favour of Chelsea.

With 30 minutes left to play, a frustrated Crouch applied two-footed at the Nigerian and top referee Martin Atkinson wasted no time in dishing a red card.

To the surprise of everyone, Crouch accused Mikel of diving and provoking the tackle.

“What I’m thinking is if you go in on Frank Lampard or John Terry, would they roll around like Obi Mikel did? I don’t think they would have done," Crouch said at the time.

“I didn’t catch Mikel, but he went down like he has been shot.”

After a decade since the incident, the tall former Stoke City forward has had a rethink by admitting that he did not only tackle Mikel out of frustration, but he should have been given red card three times.

“The worst tackle I ever did was on John Obi Mikel. I think it was in the Carling Cup, as it was called then,” Crouch said in a BBC Podcast. 

“The whole of the game, I’d been receiving balls high and he (Mikel Obi) had been basically told to mark in front of me. He’s been standing all over my toes constantly, all game.

“I try to chest it away, but he’s putting his hands on my face, even his elbows. I have been telling the referee all game, and I’m getting nothing.

“Then it happened again, and as the ball dropped off, another one of his elbows again. The ball dropped perfectly, and he was facing the stands. Obviously, I lost the plot and I tried to take him out.

“I’m not proud of it. If he’s listening to this, John Obi Mikel, I will like to apologise,” he soberly concluded.

By Olamide Oyetunji