Former Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg, says he almost quit referee due racially allegations leveled against him by former Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi.

During the Blues’ 3-2 defeat to Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, Mikel Obi’s teammate at the time, Ramires, claimed he heard a racist slur aimed at the Nigerian from Clattenburg.

Clattenburg had sent off two Chelsea players Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres and the officials missed an offside for United’s winning goal.

In his new autobiography, Whistle-Blower, published in Dailymail, he wrote: “Chelsea made a formal complaint to the FA three days after the game. They were saying I had racially abused Mikel and for the first time, I was made aware of the specifics of their accusation, which was also leaked to the press.

“According to Chelsea, I had said to Mikel, ‘Shut up, you monkey.’ The language disgusted me, it was damaging and fictitious.

“Twenty-five days after the game, the FA dismissed the case. I was not guilty, something I had known all along.”