Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed the lessons that he learnt from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, paying tribute to the influence that he had on his career, as reported by the Daily Star.
Rodgers got his start under Mourinho at Chelsea, working as the reserve team gaffer.
He eventually departed Stamford Bridge in order to begin his own managerial career.
A poor spell at Reading followed, before another opportunity arose at Swansea City, where he established himself as one of the more highly rated young managers in world football.
From there, John W Henry and Liverpool came calling, and he was appointed as manager at the historic Merseyside club.
He hasn’t looked back since joining the Reds, leading them to a second place finish in the Premier League last season and qualifying for the Champions League in the process.
However, he took time to credit Mourinho for the initial influence he had on him, saying: “It was a wonderful experience, I learned.
“Jose was a great planner and a good man to me as a young coach.
“I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to coach the reserve team and be near him, and the first team.
“He’s a friend of mine and its slightly different now because we are both so engrossed in our roles and our jobs that we don’t get the chance to speak so much now.”