Jose Mourinho has singled out Scott McTominay as one of the players he most enjoyed coaching during his time at Manchester United, hailing the midfielder as 'my boy'.
Mourinho managed United from the summer of 2016 through to December 2018 before being sacked, winning three trophies in his first season and finishing runners-up to centurions Manchester City in the Premier League in his second.
Along the way, Mourinho oversaw the integration of McTominay into the first team, handing him his professional debut in May 2017 as a 20-year-old. Ever since leaving United, the Portuguese coach has continually singled out McTominay as one of the success stories of his career in terms of youth development.
In a wide-ranging interview with Rio Ferdinand on the podcast, Mourinho was asked about the players in his career he loved coaching the most.
«The players that I most enjoyed [coaching] were the ones that gave me everything,» he replied. «And there are dozens and dozens and dozens, and maybe they aren’t the most talented ones, just the ones that gave everything.
»The ones that I felt they couldn’t give anything more than what they gave, these are my players.
«Then if you want to, kind of, preferred… I don't want to be unfair to people and I will be unfair but when you play a kid, the kid becomes your kid for life. That is always my feeling.
»So I look to Raphael Varane [at Real Madrid] now at the end of his career, he is my kid.
«When I look to Scott McTominay, [Paul] Pogba on the bench, play Scott McTominay in Champions League against Sevilla, he is my boy.
»When I go club to club, I find my boys and they are always going to be my boys."
McTominay made two appearances for United towards the end of Mourinho's debut 2016/17 season before
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