Mourinho and Essien are very fond of each other, having united at both Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insists Michael Essien was not just any player but more of a son to him.
The Portuguese and the former Ghana international are very fond of each other, having united at both Chelsea and Real Madrid.
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The Red Devils boss brought Essien to England in 2005 during his time at Chelsea, with the pair going on to win numerous trophies together.
Essien developed a very close relationship with Mourinho and matured into one of the best midfielder’s in the world under the tutelage of the former Inter Milan boss.
Indeed, the pair have since kept in touch and in a latest interview, Mourinho described the Ghanaian as not just any player, but one he regards as his son.
“He [Essien] wasn’t my player; he was my son. I’m his white dadd,” the Man United manager said on B4KO.
“The feeling is that [he is] more than a player for me. He was probably the one that took me to his home, to his real home.
“He took me to the place where he was born, to the streets where he was playing football as a kid, to meet the mum, to meet everyone that grew up with him in in Ghana. He made me fall in love with the country.”
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Essien is currently a free agent, having been released by Indonesian club Persib Bandung earlier this year.
The ex-Black Stars midfielder recently revealed that he will soon officially announce his retirement from football.