Chelsea striker Didier Drogba admits that his progress as a player is all down to former Blues boss José Mourinho.
The Ivorian striker was signed by the Portuguese tactician in the summer of 2004, and Drogba believes that the current Inter Milan boss helped him to fulfil his potential at Stamford Bridge.
"I remember sometimes I would talk to him and say 'Why are you giving me two days off even though we have a match in a few days?' And he said that my rest was mostly psychological.
"That means you can cut yourself off for a couple of days and you rest and you're mentally well and you come back fresh. The mental side is 90 per cent of football. The players are with him absolutely. He gives you everything.
"He says 'Do what you want, with me you can do what you want. But on the pitch you give me everything. You don't betray me. I give you everything you want, I give you days off but you must be performing on the pitch.'
"He would come and tell you if you had a bad game that you didn't play well but the next match if you played well he'd also come to say 'For me you were man of the match.'
"I loved him because he made me progress as a player. I was ready to break my legs for him."
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The Ivorian striker was signed by the Portuguese tactician in the summer of 2004, and Drogba believes that the current Inter Milan boss helped him to fulfil his potential at Stamford Bridge.
He told RTL: "Mourinho is somebody very strong tactically but mainly from the psychological side. He knows how to get through to the players.
"I remember sometimes I would talk to him and say 'Why are you giving me two days off even though we have a match in a few days?' And he said that my rest was mostly psychological.
"That means you can cut yourself off for a couple of days and you rest and you're mentally well and you come back fresh. The mental side is 90 per cent of football. The players are with him absolutely. He gives you everything.
"He says 'Do what you want, with me you can do what you want. But on the pitch you give me everything. You don't betray me. I give you everything you want, I give you days off but you must be performing on the pitch.'
"He would come and tell you if you had a bad game that you didn't play well but the next match if you played well he'd also come to say 'For me you were man of the match.'
"I loved him because he made me progress as a player. I was ready to break my legs for him."
Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
