Jose Mourinho appointed new Tottenham Hotspur manager hours after Mauricio Pochettino sacked

  • Video report by ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott

Jose Mourinho has been appointed as Tottenham's new manager following the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino.

Former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Mourinho has signed a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season.

Pochettino was dismissed on Tuesday night after five-and-a-half years in charge and less than six months after he took Spurs to the Champions League final.

Currently the club are lying 14th in the Premier League table after the opening 12 matches.

Tottenham chair Daniel Levy heralded Mourinho's arrival, saying he believed the Portuguese manager would "bring energy and belief to the dressing room".

"In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football," Mr Levy said.

"He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician.

"He has won honours at every club he has coached.

"We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room."

Mauricio Pochettino was relieved of his duties on Tuesday. Credit: PA

Mourinho won three Premier League titles over two spells in charge of Chelsea and returned to England to manage Manchester United in 2016.

He was sacked last December following a poor run of results and has been out of work since, most recently working as a pundit for Sky Sports.

The 56-year-old, who has also managed Porto, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, has turned down a number of opportunities to coach abroad, including with clubs in China, Spain and Portugal, since his Old Trafford exit.

Reacting to the news of his appointment, Mourinho said he was "excited to be joining a club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters.

"The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me.

"Working with these players is what has attracted me."

A statement from Spurs trumpeted The Special One's appointment, highlighting his footballing achievements.

"Jose is one of the world's most accomplished managers having won 25 senior trophies," the club said.

"He is renowned for his tactical prowess and has managed FC Porto, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United.

"He has won a domestic title in a record four different countries (Portugal, England, Italy and Spain) and is one of only three managers to have won the UEFA Champions League twice with two clubs, FC Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010. He is also a three-time Premier League Champion with Chelsea (2005, 2006, 2015)."

Mourinho's first match in charge will be the London derby away to West Ham on Saturday.

Club captain Harry Kane tweeted a tribute to the departing Pochettino, he said: "Gaffer. I’ll be forever thankful to you for helping me achieve my dreams.

"We’ve had some amazing moments in the last 5 and a half years that I will never forget. "You were my manager but my friend as well and I thank you for that relationship. Good luck with your next chapter!"

In his own version, midfielder Dele Alli took to Twitter to say: "I can’t thank this man [Pochettino] enough.

"He’s taught me so much and I’m so grateful for everything he’s done for me. Good luck and hope to see you again my friend."