Roma striker, Tammy Abraham has hailed Jose Mourinho as the ‘world’s best coach as he makes him feel like a special player.
The striker has settled in well in Italy’s capital after £34million transfer from Chelsea, scoring 23 goals in his debut season for his new club, including a brace in a 3-0 win over Roma’s fierce rivals Lazio.
However, Abraham admits he needed convincing to up sticks and try life in Serie A.
Asked if Jose Mourinho being his manager got him to join Roma, Abraham told talkSPORT: “It [Mourinho] was a factor involved, yes.
“As a young English lad I wanted to stay in England. Rome came along and Atalanta and many different teams around the world, I was telling myself I wanted to stay in the Premier League and that I had something to prove.
“But my dad, parents and agent sat me down and said ‘you scored goals at Chelsea, Swansea and Bristol City, go and test the waters, go and experience life abroad.’ When they were speaking it kind of dawned on me that not many players can say they’ve gone out in Italy, to Serie A and a team like Rome.
“I never back down from a challenge so when this challenge came along I thought as I’m still young this is the best time for me to go and do it.”
Abraham produced heroics in the Derby della Capitale, which will make him a Roma hero for life in the eyes of some fans, but Mourinho demanded more from the player after the match.
Some players may have felt a bit put out by those comments. It’s clear Abraham is very happy with who he’s working under and revealed he experienced the Portuguese’s tough methods as a youngster at Chelsea too.
He added: “You know Mourinho’s a character that we all know.
“There’s a reason why I call him the best manager in the world. He knows how to drive you, he knows how to get under your skin and he knows how to make you feel like a very special player at times.
