Steve Sidwell’s entry in Chelsea
Steve Sidwell has shared an anecdote about his first meeting with Jose Mourinho before his transfer to Chelsea. Sidwell was taken to the manager’s home, but Mourinho was unaware of his presence. This. interaction marked Steve Sidwell’s grand entry in Chelsea .
In 2007, Steve Sidwell, who was a standout player for Reading at the time, garnered attention from larger clubs, including Chelsea. Sidwell had a special connection to Chelsea as he had supported the team during his childhood while growing up in southwest London .
Where the story began
After receiving a surprising phone call from his agent about Chelsea’s interest, Sidwell was invited to Mourinho’s home for a meeting. However, their initial encounter did not unfold as expected . He explained
“I left training and my agent called me and said Peter Kenyon [Chelsea’s CEO at the time] had called [and said] ‘they want to sign you’, ”
Sidwell expressed that all his family and friends were Chelsea fans and mentioned that he was born in Wadsworth and grew up in Tooting. He also mentioned his desire for Jose to call him . He was waiting for Jose to call him . Soon the call came in . It was a 2 minute call . Jose invites Sidewell and his wife and even sends for a car to pick them up .
When they reached no one had alerted Mourinho so he had no clue of Sidewell’s presence .
Sidwell recalled that suddenly, he noticed two legs coming down the stairs wearing a pair of jeans and slippers. He then heard Mourinho exclaim in surprise, asking if he was already there. Mourinho came in and apologized for the misunderstanding. Sidwell mentioned that Mourinho’s wife was in awe of him. They had a conversation during which Mourinho showed him a big book detailing Chelsea’s plans for pre-season in July 2007 .
The offer was such which Sidewell could not refuse . After their discussions the only thing he asked was when and where to sign the contract .
This small interaction between the two was definitely a little hilarious and an encounter the fans cherish .
