Jose Mourinho famously told reporters he thought he was a special one when he first pitched up at Chelsea in 2004.

However, it seems the Portuguese manager covets one boss over all others after revealing who he would put in charge of an English team if he ever decided to buy one.

It’s not the answer you might have expected either, with Mourinho pointing to the tracksuit-clad man he will share a touchline with on Monday evening.

“It's simple,” Mourinho explained. “If I own an English club, which I don't and which I'd never do, I'd sign Tony Pulis. It's as simple as that.

“It's a guarantee to achieve what the club wants. He never managed a club that wants to be champions. He never managed a club that wants a top four place.

“He's always managed clubs who want to survive and who want stability, and he's mathetmatic: what the club wants, he gives,' added Mourinho.

“His record is absolutely amazing, and he does what some people don't understand – but I do – and what other people sometimes don't rate, but I do, which is the relation between what the manager wants and what the team is.”

“Tony's teams are exactly what he wants, exactly what he prepares a team to be.

“This is the most difficult thing in football. Philosophy is a beautiful thing but football is more than that. Tony is a great example of that.”

In pictures: West Bromwich Albion's last Premier League outing at Newcastle...

Busy summer for Chelsea?

Chelsea go their business done early last year when big-money buys Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas were snared nice and early.

Mourinho isn’t expect to rush to the sales this summer though and admits only minor tweaks are needed to a team that have already been crowned Premier League champions.

Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba have both been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, but the Blues boss is more concerned with putting sun-tan lotion in his suitcase than putting in bids for superstars.

He said: "I expect to be busy walking from my towel in the sand to the water, swim a little bit and be back to the sun again. That's where I expect to be busy.

"I'm in a different position to last season. Last season I was more than keen for my club to sell some players. At this moment I'm very happy to keep my players."

Summer exit? Petr Cech is losing his battle for the gloves with Thibaut Courtois

Petr Cech’s exit is far from certain

We’ve heard a lot from Petr Cech’s agent in the last couple of weeks.

Viktor Kolar, has said the 32-year-old has been permitted to speak to other clubs, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain reportedly interested in signing the goalkeeper.

Kolar has also revealed Cech has begun negotiations with Besiktas over a move to Turkey at the end of the season.

Mourinho isn’t sure the agent is telling the whole story and would prefer for Cech, one of his most trusted stars, to remain in SW6 next season.

He said: "I don't know that it's absolutely true what the agent is saying.

"Maybe it is, but the player has contract with Chelsea and Chelsea will have a very important say in the decision.

"I keep saying the same: I want my best players. Petr is one of my best players.

"I want my important players. Petr is one of my important players, so I would like him to stay and that's my position.

"I'm optimistic that he can be here next year."

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Trophies and medals galore at the Bridge

Everyone’s a winner at Chelsea this summer - even those who have left the club midway through the title-winning campaign.

Mourinho wants every player who has been a part of his first-team squad this season to be rewarded with a replica medal and trophy for their part in the success.

Mohamed Salah, Andre Schurrle and Mark Schwarzer are among the list of players who have been asked to attend the end-of-season celebrations against Sunderland.

Mourinho said: “The invite has been sent out to Schurrle, Salah, Mark Schwarzer (now at Leicester), Lewis Baker (who has been on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons), all of them who started the season with us.

“We are not sure if they all can make it, Lewis can, we are not sure about the others. But at least they know they belong to us winning the title. They are champions like us.

“I know that by the rules they only give a medal to a player had five appearances and there are some who won’t get an official medal.

“But we are going to buy medals, replicas of the cup and for me the champions are the ones who played every minute like John Terry, but a champion is also Schwarzer who has not played a minute.”

Diego Costa boost for the Blues

Diego Costa is set to return to the Chelsea squad for Monday’s trip to West Bromwich Albion.

The Chelsea striker has been plagued by hamstring problems in his successful debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Blues manager Mourinho expects the player to be back in the mix at the Hawthorns but cannot yet be certain this far ahead of kick-off.

Three players who certainly won’t feature against the Baggies, or again this season for that matter, are injured trio Oscar, Ramires and Kurt Zouma.

Cech has a chance of making the squad for the Sunderland match but is unlikely to make the cut for West Brom.

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