Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel hails ‘fantastic’ Jose Mourinho

John Obi Mikel has described Jose Mourinho as a “fantastic guy” amid reports linking the Portuguese coach with a return to Chelsea this summer.

The current Real Madrid boss is widely expected to quit the La Liga club at the end of the season and is the heavy favourite to take over from interim boss Rafael Benítez at Stamford Bridge.

Mikel arrived at Chelsea in 2006 while Mourinho was still in charge of the Blues and won the FA Cup under his stewardship.

And the 26-year-old Nigeria midfielder was full of praise for his former manager, who led Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.

“Mourinho is a fantastic guy. He’s a great guy,” said Mikel. “He’s a fantastic human being, on and off the pitch. He knows how to motivate players, how to get the best out of players.

“If you work with him, from the first day he tells you what he wants from you. That’s exactly how it’s going to be. What he wants from you is what you have to give and this is something that he’s managed to do well and if he’s the one that’s coming in it’s going to be a massive, massive plus for us.

“Mourinho doesn’t let you relax. He doesn’t let you sit back and say ‘I’m there now’. He wants to push you to your limits.

“That’s what he works hard on with the players. But what a fantastic guy he is, outside and inside the football pitch.”