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Jose Mourinho might have his fair share of critics but there's no denying that he is one of the greatest ever managers to grace the game.
The Portuguese has found success at almost every club he has managed so far. He's won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain and has even managed to win the Champions League twice with two different clubs.
Many star forwards have plied their trade under Jose Mourinho
It's no secret that Jose Mourinho is known for his defensive style of play, with plenty of his success coming by building teams with solidity at the back. But the tactician also had some of the best forwards in football history play under his tenure at various clubs.
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While some of them were already established stars when they first took the field for him, others became world-beaters under his guidance.
As such, we have ranked the five greatest forwards to play for Jose Mourinho. The forwards have been selected and ranked based on the number of goal contributions per game across all competitions while playing for Mourinho's team. So without any further adieu, let's take a look at them:
(Honorable mention: Angel Di Maria- 25 Goals & 60 Assists in 136 appearances)
#5 Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Arguably Chelsea's best player in the last decade, Eden Hazard arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012 and established himself as a key player for the Blues.
Jose Mourinho arrived at Chelsea the following summer, and Hazard enjoyed a fantastic first season under the Portuguese, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists in all competitions.
However, Chelsea finished the season trophyless. The pair seemed likely to fall out after just one season when Hazard criticized Mourinho's tactics following the Champions League exit against Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Mourinho retorted by saying that the Belgian wasn't "mentally ready" to help his defense. Hazard managed to win Chelsea's Player of the Year award, but there were doubts regarding the forward's future at the club.
Those doubts vanished next season as the Belgian clearly bought into Jose Mourinho's philosophies and had a sensational 2014-15 season. The campaign saw him register 19 goals and 13 assists in all competitions as Chelsea won the Premier League and the League Cup double.
The Belgian was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year again. He also managed to win FWA Footballer of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season, and PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
Like most of Chelsea's squad, Hazard's form fell during the 2015-16 season which led to Jose Mourinho getting sacked by the club. However, Hazard's form during the previous two seasons definitely earned him a spot as one of the greatest ever forwards to play under the Portuguese. The Belgian made 125 appearances in total for Jose Mourinho, registering 36 goals and 30 assists.
#4 Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Jose Mourinho's best signing at Chelsea, Didier Drogba, was one of the Portuguese' key assets in Chelsea's title-winning squad.
Many fans questioned Jose Mourinho's judgment when he convinced Chelsea to pay a then-record £24 million to bring Drogba to Stamford Bridge. But those doubts were ultimately quashed as Drogba became one of Chelsea's greatest ever players.
His first season at Chelsea saw him help the club win their maiden Premier League title. He managed to score only 16 goals in all competitions that season. But the Blues' title had been built upon their defensive solidity and the best was yet to come from the Ivorian.
Drogba scored another 16 goals in the 2005-06 season. But his efforts in leading the line for Chelsea had significantly improved. When the season ended, Chelsea and Drogba had another Premier League title to their name.
The striker hit new heights in the 2006-07 season as he scored 33 goals in all competitions under Jose Mourinho. He even managed to win the Premier League Golden Boot with 20 goals although Chelsea could not manage to retain the title. They did, however, manage to win the League Cup and FA Cup.
Jose Mourinho departed Chelsea the following campaign, but that wasn't the end of his time with Drogba. "The Special One" returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013 and the following season Drogba returned to Chelsea as a free agent for one last campaign.
Although Drogba was mostly used as a backup that season, he still managed to chip in with seven goals in 40 appearances across all competitions. It resulted in another Premier League title together for the duo.
Drogba scored 73 goals and provided 40 assists in 186 appearances under Jose Mourinho. The Ivorian continues to share a unique bond with Mourinho, and has often credited the manager for changing his life.
#3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan & Manchester United)
Two people with identical personalities, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jose Mourinho had a short but memorable time together.
Zlatan spent only one season under the Portuguese at Inter Milan in 2008-09 and then a season and a half at Manchester United when he came to Old Trafford in 2016. However, some of the best football of the Swede's impressive career came while playing for 'The Special One'.
At Inter, Ibrahimovic scored 25 goals in Mourinho's first season, finishing as Serie A's top scorer as the Nerazzurri lifted the Scudetto for the first time under the Portuguese.
Ibrahimovic left Inter for Barcelona in the summer of 2009, thereby missing out on the historic treble that Mourinho won with Inter in 2010. Following his switch to the Camp Nou, Ibrahimovic lasted just one season at Barcelona before returning to Italy with Inter's city rivals AC Milan.
Seven years later, Mourinho and Ibrahimovic reunited again, this time in the Premier League with Manchester United. Aged 35, there were question marks on whether the Swede would be able to adjust to the pace and physicality of English football.
But Ibrahimovic started the season brilliantly, scoring the winning goal on his debut in the 2016 Community Shield. He ended the 2016-17 campaign with 28 goals and 10 assists in 46 games, helping United to a League Cup and Europa League double. The forward left the following season to join MLS side LA Galaxy.
Ibrahimovic played 100 times under Jose Mourinho, scoring 58 goals and providing 23 assists. The duo still maintain a healthy relationship, with the forward even praising Mourinho in his autobiography I Am Zlatan.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema exhibited his brilliant talent in front of goal to its fullest during his three-year spell with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. The forward scored a staggering 78 goals and provided 49 assists in just 150 games under the Portuguese.
Benzema formed a lethal partnership up front with Cristiano Ronaldo as Los Blancos stormed to the La Liga title in 2011-12. The Frenchman also managed to win the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup under Mourinho.
But their relationship wasn't always smooth sailing. Benzema in particular was left very unimpressed when Mourinho compared him to a cat in a press conference in 2011.
This was a turning point in their relationship with Benzema confronting Mourinho and demanding respect from the manager.
Despite this bump in the road, Benzema still enjoyed a prolific and trophy-laden stint under Jose Mourinho. His goalscoring record under the Portuguese definitely warrants him a spot on the list.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Another Real Madrid forward who had a wonderful time in front of goal under Jose Mourinho was none other than one of the all-time greats, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo had arrived at the Bernabeu in 2009, prior to Mourinho's appointment in the summer of 2010. The forward had scored 33 goals in the campaign but ended the season trophyless. That naturally changed when Jose Mourinho took over the reigns. Everyone was keen to see if the Mourinho-Ronaldo combo could knock Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola off their perch in La Liga.
Jose Mourinho's first season saw Ronaldo score a staggering 53 goals and claim his first trophy at Real Madrid in the form of the Copa del Rey. However, they narrowly lost out on the league title to Barcelona.
In the 2011-12 campaign, though, Ronaldo scored 60 goals under Mourinho as Los Blancos finally wrestled the La Liga title away from Barcelona. The campaign saw Mourinho's Real Madrid set several records, including most games won in a La Liga season (32) and most goals scored in a La Liga season (121). They also recorded the best goal difference (+89) in La Liga history.
Things ended on a somewhat sour note as the duo fell out in Jose Mourinho's final season in charge. Mourinho reportedly felt that Ronaldo did not deal with criticism well.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo scored a mind-blowing 168 goals and provided 49 assists in just 164 games under Jose Mourinho, thereby taking the top spot on this list.
