Cape Town - Chelsea striker Diego Costa paid respect to former manager Jose Mourinho ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester United.
Mourinho will naturally steal the spotlight when the Blues head to Old Trafford, and Costa has explained his reverence for the Portuguese coach.
"In all honesty I always tell people I am grateful to Mourinho because he helped me a lot," Costa told Sky Sports.
"As a player when you want to improve you always look for the best coach and Mourinho is one of the best.
"I wanted to come to Chelsea because of Mourinho. When I considered Chelsea I thought about the fact that Mourinho was here.
"He is a coach that demands a lot from his players, he wants the maximum.
"He helped me a lot and then what happened is that the following season didn't go well, these things happen, but the truth is that Mourinho helped me a lot to improve as a player."
Kick-off at Old Trafford is at 17:00 SA time on Sunday.