Erik Lamela still ‘truly values’ Jose Mourinho gesture at Tottenham ‘to this day’

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Erik Lamela has opened up on what his relationship with Jose Mourinho was like at Tottenham Hotspur.

Mourinho lasted just 14 months in the Tottenham hotseat after replacing Mauricio Pochettino at the helm in November of 2019.

The Portuguese coach was unceremoniously sacked before the Carabao Cup final, and that is something that clearly irked him for a long time, with Mourinho continuing to take digs at Spurs well after leaving the club.

It is fair to say that the Portuguese coach had a contentious relationship with some members of the Tottenham squad, but not Lamela.

Erik Lamela and Jose Mourinho at Tottenham

Erik Lamela admits Jose Mourinho was like a friend at Tottenham

According to reports, Mourinho had lost a good chunk of the Spurs dressing room in his final months at the club.

However, Lamela admits that he had a lot of affection for the 62-year-old, revealing that Mourinho went out of his way to make him feel valued.

The former Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder told FlashScore: “My relationship with him was excellent. From day one, he showed me a lot of care. When he arrived, I was injured, and he made a point of watching an entire training session with the fitness coach. I really value that gesture, even to this day.

“He was like a friend. The relationship was very close and positive. He only asked that we give our all, both in training and in matches. Once he saw that you were fully committed, your relationship with him was always very good.”

Lamela wants to see Mourinho succeed in his next adventure

It has been downhill for the special one since his spell at Tottenham, with his spells at Roma and Fenerbahce being fairly rocky, although he did lead the Giallorossi to a Europa Conference League trophy.

Mourinho is now back where it all started for him, returning to Portugal to take on Benfica’s project, and Lamela wants to see his former boss succeed at Lisbon.

When asked about Mourinho taking over at Estadio da Luz, the former Tottenham man said: “I truly hope he does well. It’s been a while since we worked together, but I always have a special place for those who made me feel good throughout my career, and he’s one of those people.”