Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma has thanked former manager Jose Mourinho for giving him the tools to succeed in English football.
Mourinho raided Saint-Etienne to sign the then-teenage centre-back during his second stint in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The pair spent 18 months together before Mourinho moved on in December 2015 and his departure led to a downturn in playing time for Zouma, who was sent to Stoke City and Everton for season-long loan spells.
The five-cap France international returned to Chelsea this term and credits Mourinho with laying the foundation for his development into a first-team regular.
Mourinho opened the door to England for me. I was only 19 when I arrived. I was young, Zouma told France Football.
He gave me confidence by playing me in big games with a lot of intensity. He was the one who showed me what football in England was like.
The coach is a man who hates losing. He taught me to hate defeat.
Thanks to him, I was able to flourish at Chelsea. He gave me a lot of things and taught me a lot. I thank him.
A Chelsea debut to remember for , five years ago today!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)
Mourinho is now head coach at Tottenham, while Zouma is a regular in the Premier League under new Blues boss Frank Lampard.
Chelsea have adapted quickly to their former midfielder s methods, winning eight of 13 league games to sit comfortably inside the top four.
Zouma said: He is a coach who is really close to us. It shows that he was still a player until recently. He talks to us a lot, participates a lot in training.
When we work defensively on corners, he s the one who shoots.
You should see the precision he has it s amazing. He has so many qualities with his feet. He is still very strong.
