Carling Cup champs Manchester United had little time for the competition four years ago, it has been revealed.

The Mail on Sunday says when United signed an option agreement with John Obi Mikel in April 2005, the terms of his proposed deal included pay increases after he had made a certain number of "first team competitive match" appearances.

But an explanatory note revealed: "First team competitive match shall mean a match played by MUFC in the FA Premier League, FA Cup and any of [sic] UEFA club competitions."

Meanwhile, Theo van Seggelen, secretary general of the international players' union, FIFPro, says he is "100 per cent" behind calls for the investigation into Mikel's controversial journey from Nigeria to Chelsea via Norway to be re-opened and will make his feelings known at this week's FIFA Congress in the Bahamas where, ironically, protection of minors is high on the agenda.