Mourinho expects Man Utd job – but LVG doesn’t believe it

“For sure I’ll be back soon”, he added.

He admitted: “I know that there has been such a lot of nonsense created around me but I can’t believe that there is already a relationship with Jose Mourinho and Manchester United”.

“But then Van Gaal still has one year further in his contract and can stay”.

But Van Gaal, who has attracted considerable criticism for the defensive, slow and possession-based style he has brought to United, reckons Rooney is simply finding form and momentum, having scored seven goals in as many games.

“In England, you can win the leagues with 75 points, maybe less, so I needed competition”.

Manchester United refused to comment on Friday-night reports by the BBC that they had been talking to the former Chelsea manager, but it is understood there has been contact between the two parties for well over a month.

Mourinho played for Chelsea with Cesc [Fabregas], Willian, Oscar, [Eden] Hazard and [Diego] Costa.

“I always say that I need competition and I need competition every week and in Spain, I was at an fantastic club but I had four matches a year: Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Real Madrid vs Barcelona and after that we’d win 4-0, 5-0, 4-1, 6-1”, he said. I can have my family, I can have my friends, I can have my quiet life, which I also like, and I can have my football…

“To be fully happy I need everything, so I go back to football”. I don’t think so.

The Portuguese also admitted that he is ready to get back to work after only the second break in his decorated 16-year managerial career.

Patience is a virtue after all, and it seems that supporters hoping Jose Mourinho will be taking over from Louis van Gaal midway through this season are wide of the mark. Say we had 65, 67 and 70 per cent possession, but there were opponents who said “we don’t care how much possession you have, we have the score on our side”.

He and his family have remained in London and Mourinho has insisted that the English capital will be his home for the foreseeable future.