Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has outlined which former manager he will always hold in the highest of regard.
The Red Devils academy graduate has now turned out 248 times for his boyhood club after making his debut in May 2017.
Having now worked under five managers during his time at Old Trafford, the Scotland international insists one man in particular stands out above all.
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"There’s a picture in my grandparents’ house of me making my debut in the Champions League, standing beside Jose Mourinho," began the 27-year-old speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo.
"They loved him because he gave me that moment. He gave me that initial opportunity, so he will always be a hero of mine. I’ll be forever grateful for everything that he did for me."
McTominay has enjoyed both the good and the bad during his time so far at Man Utd, with Erik ten Hag offering the midfielder plenty of opportunity during his tenure.
But given Mourinho was the very man who handed him his first-team debut some seven years ago, the Man Utd star has opened up on the pair's special relationship.
"I remember that when I first started training with the first team, I got into an argument with a couple of the senior players over the way a small-sided game was going," added the Scotland international.
"Ashley Young was one of them and, trust me, he can handle himself. I was only 17 or 18 at the time, but I wasn’t happy that our team was losing and maybe I went too far.
"Jose pulled me aside and said, “You can’t speak to the senior professionals like that.” He told me that they would respect me for standing up for myself and having that fire in the belly, but I had to get them onside first.
"I think he knew my reaction came from a good place – because I wanted to do well. It gave me a lot to think about when I went back to my digs that night.
"To be fair, it probably didn’t change too much and, looking back, maybe it was a test. He always took an interest. And he would talk about his experiences in Scotland in glowing terms."
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