Jose Mourinho joins Sky Sports and will make debut during Manchester United vs Chelsea coverage

Jose Mourinho has been unveiled as Sky Sports’ newest recruit while he remains out of work as a football manager, with the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss set to make his studio debut on Sunday at Old Trafford in the Premier League clash featuring the two clubs.

The 56-year-old Portuguese has not held a managerial role since being sacked by United in December last year, but he will give his verdict on his successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the Norwegian’s current side when they begin their Premier League campaign this weekend.

In a statement released on Saturday morning, Mourinho said: "The Premier League is a special competition for me, one that takes so much hard work to win and you just can't take your eyes off the matches every week.

"Sky Sports is the home of the Premier League and it's a pleasure for me to join this team and help to understand and explain what happened in each match. Football is a huge passion, it means so much to the fans, and I look forward to being part of the Premier League with them until I return to my place on the touchline."

The appointment suggests that Mourinho is a long way from returning to football, despite talking of his desire to get back in the dug-out and being linked to a number of clubs across the world.

Mourinho, who has also managed Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid on top of his two spells with Chelsea and stint at United, had initially planned on finding a job by the end of June. But after declining a lucrative offer from China, he revealed his intentions of looking at international football – which would allow him to combine his duties with his new role at Sky.

"I want to compete in new competitions," Mourinho told Eleven Sports earlier this year. "I think about the World Cup and the European Championships.

"For a long time I have had the desire to try out such an adventure. Right now, I see myself more at a national team than with a new club. Is Portugal the right team for me? Not necessarily.”

Mourinho's first match with Sky will feature his two most-recent clubs (Bein Sports) (beIN SPORTS)

Mourinho’s verdict on United is unlikely to be uncensored though, given he remains committed to a non-disclosure agreement with the club on certain aspects of his time there. However, he will be free to assess how they perform this season under Solskjaer, following the summer revamp that saw Daniel James, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka join and Romelu Lukaku leave – who Mourinho signed from Everton two years ago.