Viv Solomon-Otabor has shared the story of how his dream move to Chelsea collapsed when he was still a teenager — www.isagoal.com reports.
According to Through a Different Lens Podcast, the winger revealed that a Chelsea scout spotted him while playing Sunday League football and offered him a chance at Stamford Bridge.
The Nigerian attacker spent six months on trial with the London side, training alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina, and Jérémie Boga.
“It was mad, I went back to my Sunday team and got scouted by Chelsea,” he said. “I was 15 at the time, but I never got to play for the U16s.”
The man behind his chance, veteran scout Ray Rembridge, had been monitoring him for nearly three years before making an approach.
“I think he’s still at Chelsea now,” Solomon-Otabor recalled. “After the game he told me, ‘listen you are ready to come in.’”
Despite the opportunity, Chelsea did not offer him a contract, and at 14 he switched to Crystal Palace.
Now 29 and a free agent, the winger has built a career across England, Bulgaria, Scotland, Ukraine, China, and the UAE.
This article was updated 1 day ago