Manchester United host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday.
Ahead of his side’s trip to Old Trafford on Sunday, Spurs centre-back Jan Vertonghen offered high praise for Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, despite the Portuguese once labelling him as a cheat, as quoted by the Daily Star.
Mourinho was in charge of Chelsea in 2013, and during his side’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham at White Hart Lane he accused the Belgium international of feigning injury in an attempt to get Fernando Torres sent off (the Telegraph).
Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen
Vertonghen though, who has just signed a new deal that will keep him at Spurs until 2019, claims the game needs characters like Mourinho, as quoted by the Daily Star:
“He is a great coach first of all, and he has done great things with different teams. He has shown he is a very good coach and a colourful character – but football needs that. He is a good manager and he says things in the media. Does that wind me up? Not really. It’s part of the job and he plays it the way he wants to. Would I want to play for him? He’s not my manager so I’m not going to talk about this.”
Sunday’s game will be of vital importance for both clubs, as Tottenham look to keep the pressure on those above them in the table, with a seven point gap to make up on league leaders Chelsea, while United cannot afford to drop many more points in the race for the Champions League spots, after falling nine points behind fourth placed Manchester City.
Despite Vertonghen taking the high road, and praising Mourinho, he would surely love to get one over the United manager, by helping his side bring all three points back to London on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho
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