Timothy Fosu-Mensah makes admission about Jose Mourinho at Manchester United

Former Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah has reminisced about his time under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, explaining how the Portuguese boss was “tough on young players” but “in a good way”.

The right-back made his debut for United under predecessor Louis van Gaal, winning the FA Cup in his debut season as a senior player aged 18. Fosu-Mensah, now of Bayer Leverkusen, was included in the first-team squad under Mourinho the following season.

He featured 11 times in all for the ex-Chelsea manager, lifting a League Cup and Europa League in his first term. The 25-year-old recalled how Mourinho made him a more developed player despite sometimes using a harsh approach.

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Speaking to World Football Index, Fosu-Mensah said: “I spent the full [2016/17] season with the first team and as a result of that, I completed a full pre-season with them for the first time.

“I was still a teenager when Jose Mourinho arrived and he helped me mature into becoming a man in footballing terms.

“Jose was tough on young players with his demands but in a good way because he wanted you to be ready to represent a club the size of Manchester United. He helped make me stronger mentally and physically.”

Recalling one example of this, Fosu-Mensah - who permanently left Old Trafford in 2021 after 30 appearances - added: “I remember playing against Northampton Town in the early rounds of the League Cup – which we went on to win at the end of the season – and I did not have my best game.

“He subbed after 60 minutes and we had a Europa League game coming up a week or so after the League Cup game which I did not think I had a chance of playing in after he subbed me off.

“However, he