Jose Mourinho sends message of hope to Ruben Amorim at Man Utd after Europa League final defeat to Tottenham

Amorim's debut campaign at Old Trafford turned out to be a disaster as United finished 15th in the league and missed out on a European slot after losing the Europa League final against Tottenham in Bilbao. Spurs, too, had a miserable domestic campaign where they finished two places behind the Red Devils, but they managed to secure a place in the Champions League next season by winning the Europa League.

Despite Amorim's misery, the 40-year-old has received some words of hope from his mentor Mourinho, who cited his journey at FC Porto as an example to motivate his fellow countryman. The former Spurs and United boss also revealed that he was delighted to see Heung-min Son finally celebrate with a trophy in his hands.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Mourinho said: "The impact is obvious. Tottenham play Champions League and of course, for Mr Levy, the millions the Champions League gives, for him it’s the best news. For the fans, the players and Ange, it’s a title. Yes, the game was not amazing but they made history for Tottenham because Tottenham didn’t have a trophy for so many years. From what I read – just what I read – the impact on United of course is huge in the sense of for how many years has United are not involved in any European competition. But at the same time it looks like they are supporting Ruben, they are giving him time and conditions to go forward."

He added: "I read some quotes from him [Amorim] saying he’s happy he came and already had these six months. When I went to Porto the same thing happened. I went in January and we had a difficult six months, we struggled even to qualify for UEFA Cup. And then we saw what happened. I was divided because on one side I love United and I have a fantastic relationship with Ruben. But on the other side I saw Sonny [Tottenham captain Son Heung-min] crying with the cup… also for Tottenham fans it was a special feeling."

The Red Devils have jetted off to Malaysia for their post-season tour of Asia. They will face ASEAN All-Stars XI on Wednesday, followed by a match against the Hong Kong national team on Friday.