Ruben Amorim exclusive: Manchester United boss shares insight into enduring Jose Mourinho relationship - 'He opened doors for us'

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Ruben Amorim says he still exchanges messages with Jose Mourinho as he opened up on his enduring relationship with his "reference" and mentor. Amorim studied under Mourinho while the latter was in charge of Manchester United, and now - with Amorim in the Old Trafford hotseat - the 40-year-old shared the impact Mourinho has had on him, and the wider Portuguese coaching fraternity.

Watch: Amorim shares insight into Mourinho relationship - 'We exchange messages'

Video credit: TNT Sports

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says Jose Mourinho "opened the doors" for Portuguese coaches as, in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, he revealed his enduring bond with his compatriot and mentor.

Amorim spent time at the club's Carrington training ground with Mourinho back in 2017 when he was studying for his coaching badges. Eight years later, the 40-year-old is now himself in the manager's office in the south-western suburbs of Manchester.

Portugal's ability to produce elite coaches has been notable over recent years, with the likes of Amorim, Marco Silva and Nuno Espirito Santo taking on some of the biggest roles in the Premier League.

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Going back further, Andre Villas-Boas and Mourinho both managed Chelsea and Spurs, while outside the English top-flight there have been other successful coaches in the shape of Jorge Jesus and Sergio Conceicao.

Ahead of taking his improving United side to Spurs this Saturday - a game to be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - Amorim shared his thoughts on why his Portuguese compatriots have been able to thrive.

"The first thing is that we love football," Amorim said, speaking to TNT Sports at Carrington. "You have a lot of countries that love football.

"Then we have one guy that was Jose Mourinho that opened the doors for us, and helped us a lot.

"Especially one moment when he broke through, he was 10 years ahead in the way he trained, all the drills, the micro-cycle, all these things he was really ahead of his time, and helped us in our formation, so we had that information.

"Then in Portugal, you have to be really creative. You have to use young kids, then to sell, then to build another team in two years or one year.

"That gives you a lot of tools to work with a lot of problems. That gives you an experience with how to deal with things, how to think about football in different ways, because you don’t have one player with these characteristics, sometimes in the next year you don’t have that kind of player and you have to play in a different way.

"And when I say a different way it’s not a different system, it’s a different way of playing.

"So I think it’s everything, it’s the environment, the conditions that we grew up [with] as a coach in Portugal, and also the talent that we have in Portugal to work with."

Amorim says that, years on from their first meeting, he still remains in touch with Mourinho, who is now in charge of Benfica.

"I learned with a lot of coaches, but Mourinho was a reference," he said.

"Not just for the Portuguese but around the world. Especially in the beginning and during his career, he was always winning.

"He was always different in the way he communicated, and you loved that here [in England] I remember.

"I was always in contact with him, he was in Benfica and that is funny, it seems like we change country and clubs.

"But he’s a reference for me and sometimes I exchange messages with him, but not more than that."

Watch: Amorim reacts to winning first Manager of the Month award

Video credit: TNT Sports

'I have a simple life'

Amorim's tenure at Manchester United has been an exercise in resilience.

His first year in the role was filled with challenges, but October saw the club record three league wins in a row, a run of form that landed Amorim his first Premier League Manager of the Month award.

Amid the ups and downs, the Portuguese says that he puts effort into remaining "balanced" away from the game.

"The first thing is that I knew that [what to expect as a Premier League coach]," he said.

"Since I started my career as a coach, I tried to read a lot, to understand, I saw a lot of things in the Premier League since I started coaching in Portugal.

"So I know how things happen with the coach, so I understand that I need to stay balanced, and I do that effort.

"I have a simple life – that helps you also to maintain your stability, family life, that helps you.

"And the most important thing, I feel that people want me here. Especially in the lower moments, I feel the support of everyone.

"That is the key point for you to balance yourself, to understand that this is going to take time, and you have people around you that are going to help.

"And that’s not just the staff, the players, but also the fans. This season and last season, the support that they gave in the very low moments are key to balance my emotions during these phases."

Watch and stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

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