'I have to pay you!' - Jose Mourinho reunites with former player Joe Cole with thanks for continued praise as Special One calls ex-Chelsea winger 'best pundit in history'

Joe Cole Jose Mourinho

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has returned to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League with his Benfica side. The Special One reunited with former player Joe Cole ahead of kick-off and has called the former England international the "best pundit in history" after receiving plenty of kind words from Cole in his current role as a television pundit.

The Special One returns to Chelsea

Mourinho is back at Chelsea for a Champions League encounter with his former club and has admitted Stamford Bridge will always feel like home. The Portuguese won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cup crowns across two spells in charge of the Blues to establish himself as arguably the club's greatest ever manager. Mourinho has received a warm welcome back to west London and was spotted embracing a long-standing staff member in a heartwarming reunion, showing how he is still adored by those at the club.

Mourinho catches up with Cole

Mourinho has also been catching up with some former players ahead of the game. He was thrilled to meet up with Cole once again and enjoyed a warm embrace with the former midfielder who now works as a television pundit. "I have to pay this guy. I have to pay you, man. How much I have to pay you?" he joked as the two were reunited on the Stamford Bridge pitch. 

Jose Mourinho catching up with the TNT crew on his return to Stamford Bridge 🤩 pic.twitter.com/nOqjHU8vVx

Chelsea v Wigan Athletic

Cole describes Mourinho as Chelsea's Shankly

Cole has been full of praise for Mourinho ahead of the eagerly anticipated match. He told TNT Sports: "From my perspective, he is like a [Bill] Shankly of Chelsea in the sense that money came in, and he steered the ship. It's a much harder thing to do to take Chelsea from where they were underneath the top table to winning everything. It was Jose who started that process, and a lot of what we see at the club now he's imprinted and instilled into the culture.

"I think he's one of the most significant figures in the club's history. He's gone and managed Tottenham and Manchester United, but I think the Chelsea fans know in their heart what job he did there. He had remarkable success at the club, so overall, I'd like to think now he will get a good reception, as enough time has now passed. If I had my time again as an 18-year-old starting out my professional career, Jose would be the manager above all the others I'd love to play for again. Absolutely - and that's not to say it was always a walk in the park. But I loved the passion, the fighting spirit. Everything about that team, and playing for his team, felt great. I loved it."

Mourinho dubs Cole is 'best pundit in history'

Cole's words clearly had not gone unnoticed by Mourinho who was happy to return the favour. He spoke about Cole at a press conference, saying: "Joe Cole always speaks good about me. It doesn't matter what I do, even if I do wrong. Joey is my Joey. JT [John Terry] is my JT and some of my boys are my boys and we will always support each other. And I always say Joe Cole is the best pundit in history because this is something that you build and stays forever. So very nice of Joe to say that. The Champions League is much more difficult to win that the Club World Cup. Of course it is. But Chelsea has the potential to do it I think. I don't see any reason to say no chance of doing it."

GFX Enzo Maresca Jose Mourinho

Maresca in the spotlight at Chelsea

Mourinho also insisted he will remain Chelsea's best manager until someone beats his trophy haul with the Blues: "Chelsea won something before my time and then we started winning, and my team kept winning and then a transformation of new teams, new coaches, more trophies, European trophies, the biggest one – the Champions League. So Chelsea is a winning machine. I’m the biggest one until someone wins four."

Enzo Maresca is the latest man charged with the task and has already delivered the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup. Yet Maresca's future at the club has come under the spotlight in the early weeks of the new campaign after a dip in form, and another defeat to Mourinho's Benfica will only pile on more pressure.