Tammy Abraham proved he's a true Mourinho player with cheeky wink as Roma won UECL final

Tammy Abraham crowned a perfect debut season at AS Roma with UEFA Europa Conference League glory on Wednesday night.

Having been unceremoniously exiled from Chelsea‘s starting XI under Thomas Tuchel last season, the England international sought pastures new last summer with an inspired move to the Italian capital.

And boy has Abraham proved his worth across the 2021/22 campaign, boasting a formidable record of 27 goals in 53 appearances to instantly become a hero at the Stadio Olimpico.

It’s a dream start to life on the continent that has only been made more special by playing it under the watchful eye of one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport: Jose Mourinho.

And you couldn’t help feeling that the Mourinho’s collaboration with Abraham reached it zenith this week when the pair both got their hands on the trophy of UEFA’s third-string club competition.

The 24-year-old might not have scored the winner in Tirana – that honour went to Nicolò Zaniolo – but it was nevertheless a fitting way to conclude a season that he will never forget.

Besides, goal or not, Abraham still led the Roman line with the guts and guile that he has done all season long and you can really tell that he’s moulded himself into a Mourinho-like player.

You don’t need us to tell you that the way Mourinho prefers his teams to play football brings out certain – how shall we say? – mischievous qualities in players that you might not see elsewhere.

In fact, there was one moment in particular during the 1-0 win over Feyenood where fans thought they saw a cheeky streak in Abraham that’s so typical of footballers playing under Mourinho.

That’s because footage has shown Abraham winking at what appears to be the bench having hit the ground in the