What Jose Mourinho has said about Manchester United star Eric Bailly amid Roma transfer link

It was Jose Mourinho who signed Eric Bailly for Manchester United - but could a reunion be on the cards?

Having slipped down the pecking order, currently sitting behind Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, the Ivory Coast defender has only made seven appearances in all competitions this season.

According to the Daily Mirror, the 27-year-old is subject to interest from Mourinho and current side Roma.

Mourinho was in charge at United when key figures in the boardroom sanctioned a £34.2million move from Spanish side Villarreal in 2016 - and speculation over his Old Trafford future continues to mount as focus turns to the summer transfer window.

Here is our round-up of comments made by Mourinho about Bailly;

'Bailly is a team player'

During a pre-season tour to the United States, the Ivorian defender was deemed not fit enough to feature on the bench against Liverpool - but put his name forward to start when, incidentally, current Roma player Chris Smalling had to withdraw in the warm-up.

It was a gesture that led Mourinho to lavish praise on Bailly.

He said: "Bailly was not going to play. But when he saw that Smalling in the warm-up was leaving, he decided by himself he did not want another kid on the pitch. It is not fair to Alexis, to Mata, to Herrera and other [senior] guys that are there."

Mourinho added: "He is a team boy, he is a great boy. He is an honest man, always ready to give everything for the team. That is why we have him, why we still have him and why he is going to stay. Football teams need people like him, like Herrera; this kind of people where the club is more important than anything else."

'He coped with situations'

Shortly after completing his switch to Old Trafford in 2016, the former