Perhaps one of the most tedious idioms in football today is the labelling of a bright young talent as the 'next *insert name of a legendary player here*.
It's often used by fans to tangibilise a youngster's pedigree, an easy way of saying 'they're gonna be like him when they're older'. But every so often, managers and players offer their own comparisons with greats of the past, just as Jose Mourinho did in 2018.
During his tumultuous two-and-a-half-year spell as Manchester United manager, Mourinho rarely got the singings which he so desperately wanted. But when the Red Devils paid Porto £19million for Diogo Dalot in his final summer transfer window, the 'Special One' was delighted. "Everybody knows that he has fantastic potential," Mourinho said of the Portuguese teenager.
