Former Premier League manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed a key piece of advice from ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho after finding his job under threat. Back in 2004, the Northern Irishman was still an unknown figure outside Reading’s academy system. However, his paths crossed with Mourinho, who took over at Chelsea and brought him into Stamford Bridge to oversee the youth setup.
Rodgers reveals the Mourinho mantra
Rodgers admitted that his stint under Mourinho was a crash course in elite football. He had no qualms about accepting that it was none other than the Special One who introduced him to a different level of professionalism and mentality. It was this exposure to excellence that propelled Rodgers into management. After leaving Chelsea, he took charge of Watford at just 35, before later stints at Reading, Swansea, Liverpool, and Leicester City. Now back at Celtic for his second spell, Rodgers has won four Scottish Premiership titles and multiple domestic cups. However, Rodgers still credits Mourinho for showing him what it truly means to thrive in the heat of expectation.
AdvertisementAFPWhat it means to work with Mourinho
Mourinho’s influence on Rodgers was far more than tactical. It was psychological. It was a lesson in surviving football’s most unforgiving environments. In an interview with the Rodgers said: "I think it shone the light on me probably a lot more. Being at Reading was brilliant – they were a club who looked after me as a player. I ended up being academy manager there and had a great spell of nearly 14 years there. Going to Chelsea with Jose Mourinho coming in, where they wanted to go to as a club and how they wanted to transform the youth section… there was no doubt because when I went in there and I was only in the door two or three weeks and there were four or five high-profile coaches linked with my job. I had never had that before. I went to Jose early on and he told me: 'When you are at these top clubs you will have at least 12 names linked with your job. It will be the same with me as a manager. Don't worry, work hard and work well and it will be OK'.
"The opportunity to work with world-class players and some brilliant youth players, and then I had the chance to work closer with the first team. At that time it was John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Claude Makelele – to be around that and see how they live their life every day, how they train and operate… it set the bar for me because everything they wanted to do was world class."
The mindset that Mourinho instilled in him has served Rodgers through every storm. From the highs of nearly winning the Premier League with Liverpool to the lows of being sacked at Leicester.
"Especially without the playing background, I had to really earn my stripes as a coach," he said. "Once I became a manager, you really realised that with the curtain drawn back and the light shining on you as manager, it is a different world. You can be so close as the assistant or first-team coach but being the actual lead and the guy responsible… it is a different job altogether."
Mourinho gunning for Portugal job?
While Rodgers continues to build his Celtic legacy, his old mentor Mourinho is back making headlines in his homeland as he returned to Benfica 25 years after his brief debut stint at the start of the millennium. The 62-year-old was appointed just over a month ago to replace Bruno Lage, signing a two-year contract. But already, whispers suggest the Special One’s heart may be elsewhere. According to presidential candidate Rui Manteigas, Mourinho could be using Benfica as a stepping stone to the Portugal national team, a role he’s long desired.
"Mourinho isn't going to stay at Benfica for two, three, or four years," he warned. "Who doesn't know that Mourinho wants to be the national team coach? Who doesn't know in the industry? The other candidates may not know, but those who work in the industry, who doesn't know that Mourinho spoke with Pedro Proença to discuss a possible appointment to the national team?"
Reports indicate Mourinho’s Benfica deal includes a one-year release clause, allowing either side to terminate the agreement at the end of the season with compensation.
"If Mourinho had been interested in staying, he wouldn't have signed for one season, with this one-year clause, depending on whether one of the parties wants it or not. All contracts have timings. Therefore, I'm going to sit down with him and find out his terms, but I'll give him everything he needs to win this year," Manteigas added.
AFPMourinho set to come back on British shores
Mourinho is set to return to England again to face Newcastle United in the Champions League on Tuesday night. He made an emotional comeback to Stamford Bridge in September but lost out 1-0 to Enzo Maresca's men. This time, he would love to leave St James' Park with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, Rodgers has his own task at hand, leading Celtic against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, determined to keep their domestic dominance intact.