Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has spoken of his favourite players to work with.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has labelled former Liverpool duo Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa as two of the seven players he has most enjoyed working with, the Daily Mail reports.
The Portuguese coach has worked with a number of world-class stars over the past years, having stints at Porto, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and of course in West London.
Mourinho's playing staff over the past decade has ranged from hard-working defensive midfielders such as Esteban Cambiasso to flamboyant playmakers like Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But when quizzed on which players he has enjoyed working with most, two former Liverpool players popped up in an otherwise controversial stint at Spanish giants Real Madrid.
“People like Materazzi, Zanetti, Lampard, Drogba, Terry, Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa,” the self-proclaimed Special One responded when asked on his favourite working relationships.
“Guys who were born to be at that level, born to be team men. Not the ego. Not super-quality as a player in some cases - but team men. The manager's right arm.”
Both Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso spent a number of seasons with Premier League rivals Liverpool, the latter helping the Reds under then-boss Rafa Benitez to a famous Champions League success.
While Alonso is the pick of the bunch in terms of natural quality from Mourinho’s list, it’s interesting to see how each player has similar traits which have made them so successful – heart and passion.
Arbeloa in particular hasn’t exactly been Madrid’s standout Galactico in recent years, but his willingness to succeed saw him become a firm favourite under Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Do Liverpool lack determined players such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa?