Jose Mourinho has tipped Oscar to enjoy a “great future” at Chelsea as long as he continues to work hard.
The midfielder, who only turns 22 next month, has been a mainstay of the Blues’ first-team since arriving at Stamford Bridge in a £20m deal last summer.
He made over 60 appearances in all competitions for the west Londoners in his first season at the club, scoring 12 goals and notching up 13 assists.
Despite his tender age, Oscar has already racked up 22 caps for Brazil. He has six international goals to his name and played in all of his country’s matches as they won the Confederations Cup on home soil this summer.
And Mourinho was full of praise for the former Internacional star ahead of his side’s Uefa Super Cup clash against Bayern Munich in Prague on Friday night.
“He’s an important player for us,” said Mourinho.
“He’s one of the deals that Chelsea made in the last year that was fantastic because now he’s a regular player in the national team. It was a great deal.
“The kid is a great player. He’s young but he has some maturity and some experience and I think the fact that he plays for a national team with such prestige and with so much pressure around it like Brazil, makes him stronger and better. I think the Confederations Cup was important for him.
“The kid is working hard. He’s a humble boy, very simple, very open. There is a great future for him, I hope.”