Jose Mourinho press conference: Manchester United manager reveals Sir Alex Ferguson's advice to him

The Portuguese was overlooked for the job following Ferguson's retirement three years ago

Ferguson and Mourinho on the Old Trafford touchline in 2013 (Getty)

Jose Mourinho has revealed the two pieces of advices that Sir Alex Ferguson gave to him after he was appointed as Manchester United’s new manager.

The Portuguese had long coveted the Old Trafford job and was appointed as Louis van Gaal’s successor in May, following the Dutchman’s much-anticipated dismissal.

Despite being overlooked by Ferguson following the Scot’s retirement in 2013, Mourinho has always professed to have a great amount of respect for United’s greatest manager.

When asked what advice he had been given by Ferguson, Mourinho answered: “Bring the umbrella.

“And yesterday, I couldn’t believe that it was raining in the training ground, so it was great advice,” he added.

Mourinho also claimed to be looking forward to sharing a bottle of wine with Ferguson, as the pair did during the Portuguese’s first spell at Chelsea during the mid-2000s.

“The second advice as to bring my typical bottle of wine,” the former Internazionale and Real Madrid manager said. “Now we are going to have many occasions to be together.”

Mourinho and Ferguson are thought to share a mutual respect but their relationship has not been without its flashpoints.

The Portuguese described the former United winger Cristiano Ronaldo, later one of his charges at Real Madrid, as ‘uneducated’.

This rankled Ferguson, who claimed that Mourinho was on some sort of “personal crusade”.

In 2013, months before Ferguson’s retirement, the former United player and club ambassador Sir Bobby Charlton claimed that the Scot “doesn’t like him [Mourinho] too much”.