Jose Mourinho hails two shock stars for winning Man Utd the Europa League

JOSE MOURINHO has hailed two of his less glamorous former Manchester United stars for their role in overpowering Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final.

And the Special One claims European giants today are copying some of the "route one" aspects to his gameplans.

United were comfortable 2-0 winners over the Dutch side in Stockholm, with Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan bagging the goals.

But Mourinho has now revealed that central to his tactics were a back-up goalkeeper and a midfielder who was a figure of fun for much of his time at Old Trafford.

He told The Telegraph: "I won a Europa League final with [long balls from] Sergio Romero to Marouane Fellaini.

"Ajax pressing – but pressing oxygen because the ball was not there.

"Ball to Fellaini’s chest. Play from there. Two-nil. Bring the cup home. Three titles. Disaster of a season.”

Mourinho this month sat down and watched Barcelona take on PSG in the Champions League.

And he was delighted to see Barca - a club that had proved not just one of his biggest rivals, but a nemesis in terms of playing style - implementing many of the ideas he had taught at United.

Mourinho commented: “Lots of long balls from [Marc-Andre] Ter Stegen to [Robert] Lewandowski on the build-up.

"Paris trying to press higher, Ter Stegen to Lewandowski, Lewandowski chest, control and play from that position."

Marouane Fellaini was brought in under David Moyes from Everton in 2013 and was mocked by many fans for his playing style, despite proving essential to Mourinho's ideas.

He would leave the club in 2019 - a month after Mourinho's own departure - and spend four seasons at Chinese side Shandong Taishan before hanging up his boots last year.

Sergio Romero played second fiddle to David de Gea for the entirety of