Top 10 players who excelled under Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has often been looked upon as a divisive figure in world football. Opinions have differed over the manager's playing style, tactics, player handling, and media antics. He has, however, been known to be a serial winner and has won nearly everything there is to be won in club football.

Some might be of the opinion that his glory days are behind him now and he is at the terminus of his career. Still, there is no doubt about the fact that Mourinho has created great teams in the past, leading them to glory on more than one occasion. Several players have accompanied him on this journey.

His playing style and emphasis on a defensive structured type of play has meant that many defenders and deep-lying midfielders have flourished under his management. We pick 10 of the best and most impactful of the players in this list.

#1. Didier Drogba

Drogba remains one of the best players Mourinho ever signed

When someone thinks of Mourinho's preference for a striker, the first player who comes to mind is the Ivorian Didier Drogba. Mourinho got him to Chelsea in the 2004-05 season from Marseille when he was building Chelsea to be a Premier League force. Sure enough, Chelsea won the premiership that season and the next, but Drogba's contribution came under scrutiny.

The Ivorian hadn't scored nearly as many goals as he was expected to and thus began to be termed as an average striker at best. He put all the speculation to rest the next season as he went on goal scoring rampage notching 33 in all competitions. Ironically enough, Chelsea did not win the league that season and Mourinho departed the club. He did, however, leave the club with a striker who they would remember for generations.

Mourinho had famously asked the doubters to judge Drogba when he leaves the club. And surely when he did leave the club after winning the Champions League, his name was written in Chelsea's folklore.

He also made his return a few years later when Mourinho returned to the club, playing for a year and scoring 7 goals.

#2. Ricardo Carvalho

The Portuguese Center back has perhaps been Mourinho's most trusted defensive figure throughout the years. Carvalho first played under him at Porto, then followed him to Chelsea and then reunited with the manager again at Real Madrid. The two thus won league titles in all of those three leagues together.

Add to this the Champions League trophy that Carvalho won at Porto. He then went on to form a core defensive pairing with John Terry at Chelsea which was instrumental in the team winning back to back league titles.

Carvalho will be remembered as one of Portugal's best defenders in the time to come and Jose Mourinho played a huge part in moulding him into that player.

#3. Wesley Sneijder

Sneijder played for Mourinho during his Inter days

Who can forget when at the top of his managerial prowess, Jose Mourinho won the treble with Inter. One of the most instrumental figures during his time at the Italian club was Wesley Sneijder.

The Dutchman who played as a number 10 was perhaps one of the best midfielders in the world at that time. Mourinho played a huge part in making that happen, turning the flop from Real Madrid into a world beater. Jose Mourinho has since called Sneijder, a perfect number 10.

Sneijder has also been at praise for his former manager. His ability to transition in both attack and defence effectively was key to him excelling under Jose. It is also worth taking a note that the midfielder gradually declined since Mourinho left the club and never truly hit the heights again that he did under the Portuguese manager.

#4. Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo and Mourinho shared a frosty relationship

It might be argued that there isn't a manager under whom Ronaldo hasn't performed well, maybe Rafa Benitz! Or it might be said that Mourinho and Ronaldo had their fair share of problems during his time at Madrid. But there are no two ways about the astonishing stats that CR7 had while playing under the Portuguese coach.

He scored 168 goals in 164 games while Mourinho was at the Spanish club. Jose effectively turned Ronaldo into a goal-scoring machine. His trickery over the ball declined, his creative habits took a hit as Ronaldo turned more into a fox in the box player under Mourinho.

In the end, all did not end well between the two at Madrid but Mourinho will be remembered for altering Ronaldo's game into what we see today.

#5. Mesut Ozil

Ozil was assist king during his time at Madrid

After Germany's breakthrough performance in the 2010 World Cup, Mourinho brought a young Ozil to Real Madrid. He reportedly promised Ozil to make him one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. He very nearly succeeded in doing that.

Ozil was spectacular during his time under Mourinho and became an integral part of the Los Blancos squad. He left the club soon after Mourinho did and was recently slated to be reunited with his former manager at Old Trafford.

The two did have problems over the German's work rate, but it is one of Ozil's defining traits which Mourinho himself admitted later on. Mourinho has even gone on to state that he sees a bit of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane in him.

#6. Javier Zanetti

Zanetti captained the side that won the treble under Mourinho

Inter's captain during the treble winning season, Zanetti was 37 at that time but led the team to win the biggest prize that European club football has to offer.

Zanetti's playing style went hand in hand with Mourinho's tactics. It culminated into forming a defensive side that would be remembered as being one of the most astute in recent memory.

Mourinho has praised Zanetti for his workmanship in spite of his age, while Zanetti recently praised Mourinho calling him Inter's leader who led the club through a difficult time even during the first season. Zanetti has also praised Mourinho's attention to detail which according to him makes all the difference at the highest level.

#7. Nemanja Matic

Matic continues to be Mourinho's most trusted player

A much recent favourite of Jose Mourinho. Matic ably situated himself as the deep-lying midfielder upon Jose's return to Chelsea and went on to win the Premier League, establishing himself as one of his most trusted players.

He followed his manager over to Manchester United and fit into the new club almost effortlessly. The Serbian has been one of the important players in the side for the last few years and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Matic is perhaps Mourinho's idea of a perfect midfield enforcer. Loves to defend, rarely gets caught off possession, crisp in passing and is tactically sound.

#8. John Terry

Terry was one of Jose's best ever centre-backs

Terry formed the core of the team that Mourinho built at Chelsea. Partnering Carvalho in defence, with Paulo Ferreira on the right and Ashley Cole on the left, he was part of a solid backline that stood the test of time.

John Terry excelled in both of the Mourinho's tenures at the club. He captained the side ably and was a perfect example of what Mourinho wanted in a defender. The pair has held three Premier League titles together which is no mean feat.

The English Centre back has recently revealed the tactics used by Mourinho to fire him up in order to get the best out of him. Saying that he was humiliated once by Jose which spurred him into giving his best in the coming matches.

#9. Frank Lampard

It was really a choice between the legendary English midfielder and Claude Makelele. We decided to go with the prolific midfielder who was turned into one of the best players of his generation by Mourinho.

Winning the League twice, Lampard continued to perform to the best of his abilities even after Mourinho departed. He is remembered for his long rangers and late run into the box to grab goals off the midfield.

Lampard has always been in full praise of the Portuguese manager, even calling him the best manager that he ever played for at one time. Likewise, Mourinho has always been in good terms with the Englishman and the two have continued to share a great relationship on and off the pitch.

#10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

How unfortunate was it that Zlatan wasn't a part of Inter's treble-winning side having just left the club for Barcelona at the beginning of that season.

Nonetheless, he won the league title with Mourinho in the previous season ending up as the top scorer in the league. He then reunited with the manager at Man United and showed the world why his boss still rated him ever so highly. The Swedish striker scored game after game before an injury cut short is United career. Though he is still being slated to return, sometime in the near future on loan.

The tall and hulking physique of Zlatan was no doubt perfectly apt of what Jose Mourinho wants from his central striker. Also for two personalities as strong as these two, Jose and Zlatan never really sparred and always have maintained a mutual respect for each other.

Edited by Sagnik Mallick