John Terry has claimed that Jose Mourinho is the best manager he ever played under during his 20-year career at Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and England.
Terry became one of the best defenders in the Premier League during his time at Stamford Bridge, leading the Blues to five Premier League titles after being named captain by Mourinho in 2004.
Together, they helped Chelsea to break into the most successful period in the club’s history, lifting three league titles, three League Cups and an FA Cup during the Portuguese icon’s two spells as manager.
Mourinho was one of 14 club managers that Terry played under, with the defender also being part of three England managers’ squads on the international stage.
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The list of Terry’s former bosses contains legends of the game such as Fabio Capello, Guus Hiddink, Antonio Conte, Luis Felipe Scolari and Claudio Ranieri.
But he has now revealed that he continues to believe that the third person to manage him at Chelsea was the best boss.
The former England captain also admitted that Mourinho continues to scare him even now, despite the Portuguese having last managed him in 2015.
“Jose [Mourinho]. He was the best I played under, I'm still scared of him now,” Terry wrote in an Instagram Q&A when asked who was his favourite manager.
“Also loved Carlo Ancelotti.”
The fact that Mourinho is so high up in Terry’s estimations will be of little surprise to many, given their close relationship.
And Terry’s admission that he still feels scared by the Portuguese is also not unusual, with the former defender having previously given an insight into his training sessions at Chelsea.
“He was the first one to come and revolutionise it at Chelsea,” Terry told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football in 2017.
“He would be the first in, 8am, he'd be the one setting the cones out, and you'd come in as players and he'd be out there, if it was pouring with rain, getting his session organised.
“He brought three young boys in as ball boys, every time the ball went out of play we had a ball back in instantly, and if that was a bad pass, or a bad roll from one of his staff, he would stop the session and go absolutely berserk at one of his staff.
“And to a point, it was pretty embarrassing for them, but his standards were so high, and he demanded from everyone.
“The players, staff, people inside the medical team, everyone at the football club. He was on everything. His intensity and attention to detail was incredible.”
Terry last played under Mourinho in the 2015/2016 season, when the Portuguese was sacked as Chelsea boss following a defeat at Leicester in the December of that campaign.
The Blues legend has since gone into management himself, with a spell as assistant boss under Dean Smith at Aston Villa, while Mourinho is currently in charge of Serie A giants Roma.
