Viv Solomon-Otabor has claimed that he wasn't offered a contract at Chelsea due to non-football reasons.

The 2019 Super Eagles invitee was spotted by a Chelsea scout named Rambridge whilst playing Sunday League football and was handed a trial that lasted for three months.

Solomon-Otabor has highlighted that he impressed during his extended trial period and trained with the likes of Ola Aina, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jérémie Boga, who later rose through the ranks and made their professional debuts for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Speaking to Thinking out Loud Podcast, Solomon-Otabor explained : "I went on the first day so initially they wanted to see what I was like before they extended it for six weeks.

"My age group was very good - Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jérémie Boga, Ola Aina, Fankaty Dabo - so I remember training with all these guys. I've just come from Sunday League, I'm new to all of this.

"I was doing so well for six weeks, I was there from September to December. Usually a trialist wouldn't miss school to train unless you are a foreigner coming from a different country.

"One day, I asked for the decision time because I'd been there for three months , nothing has been said and they told me they were not going to give me a contract."

Solomon-Otabor admitted that his mum was very upset by the decision of Chelsea not to offer him a schoolboy contract after training with the club for a long period.

"My mom was more angry that I'd been there for so long but at the same time she was calm about it.

"Obviously I was more upset, I got over it and then I signed for Crystal Palace straightaway off the back of that, no trial, just signed.

"It wasn't for football reasons, I know for a fact because I was doing my thing every game we played, scoring goals".

Solomon-Otabor, who is currently a free agent, was named Birmingham City's Young Player of the Season for 2015-2016 and enjoyed loan spells at Oxford City, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool and Portsmouth during his time at The Blues.

Igho Kingsley