Mourinho: I Never Wanted Sheva

Shevchenko arrived at Chelsea from Milan in the summer of 2006 for a whopping €45m, and he was expected to set the Premiership alight after coming with a reputation as one of the world’s best strikers.

However, the former Dynamo Kiev hero proved to be one of the most expensive and disastrous flops in the history of the English game as he managed just nine league goals in two seasons.

Inter coach Mourinho, who was manager at Chelsea when Shevchenko arrived, has attempted to explain why he failed to live up to expectations.

"He was like a prince in Milan and at Chelsea our philosophy was different, we had no princes,” ‘The Special One’ told Ford's Feelfootball.com.

“Everybody needs to work like everybody else and everybody needs to prove he deserves to play.

"I think maybe he lost some self-confidence. Step by step a player goes in the wrong direction."

Mourinho also confirmed suspicions that he never wanted to sign Shevchenko, with the Ukrainian being the baby of Chelsea billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

"He was not my first option but the club gave him to me as a second option," said the Portuguese, who left Chelsea by mutual consent in September 2007.

"I believe in the future he will again be a player of high quality. The truth is I never had a single personal problem with him and I wish him well for the future."

Shevchenko ended his nightmare at Chelsea at the weekend when he secured a return to former club Milan.

Anthony Sormani