'I won a contract to play under Jose Mourinho – I preferred the reserves manager better'

One former Chelsea starlet has admitted he preferred the reserves manager to Jose Mourinho after winning a competition to play for the Premier League side.

Carl Magnay was the hit star on Sky’s mid-2000s programme Football Icon, with the Gateshead-born ace winning the show’s second series.

He was among thousands of budding teens battling it out in the competition, with his Magnay impressing the most and the top prize… a six-month contract at Stamford Bridge.

But on his time working with the Special One, Magnay has claimed he preferred working with Brendan Rodgers instead.

Speaking to The Chronicle, Magnay said: “That was a strange one because from an early age I’ve always been interested in coaching and see the manager styles. Mourinho was a really intimidating character.

“He had the respect of the players undoubtedly, when he’d walk into a room you’d sit upright and make sure you checked yourself. He had that presence and that aura about him.

“Others that I worked under, I wasn’t really impressed with and they were quite basic in their approach. You think ‘hold on these are massive names but they’re just doing things really simply’ which is maybe an art in itself…”

He continued: “[But] the biggest influence on my career, without a doubt, was Brendan Rodgers. He was my reserve manager for two-and-a-half years and he was incredible. His content with his sessions but also his personable approach, he’s someone that I take a lot of into my work now.”

Even though he enjoyed a respectable career in the lower leagues of English football, Magnay believes he always had a calling as a manager – a journey that started when he was at Chelsea.

Having recently been appointed Gateshead boss, Magnay added: “I did my Level 2 when I was at Chelsea. So I did my cruciate in a bad knee injury and took the opportunity to do my badges and then Brendan – when I was out injured – allowed me to take training.

“I was only 19 and he wanted me to take a session and be exposed to it because he felt I would be a good coach later down the line.

“Then people would say things to me around the training ground like ‘you’ve got a good eye for it’ or ‘you will be a good coach you’ve got good leadership qualities. I remember John Terry doing an interview with Chelsea TV and they asked him who has potential to be a manager or a coach one day and he said me.”