This ex-England star was part of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea team that won the Premier League and FA Cup and the winger has shared one of the Portuguese coach’s incredible outbursts
Shaun Wright-Phillips recounted a peculiar episode from his Chelsea days when boss Jose Mourinho launched a flying kick at a table in the changing room. The English winger signed for the Portuguese manager in 2005 for £21million.
Wright-Phillips, son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright, had emerged through Manchester City’s ranks and subsequently featured for QPR in the Premier League. His stint at Stamford Bridge spanned just over three years.
During Mourinho’s reign, the winger claimed the FA Cup and Premier League. And he reflected on one of ‘The Special One’s’ explosive moments that resulted in a table being booted and beverages scattered across the dressing room.
“We came into the dressing room after a bad half,” Wright-Phillips said on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet. “I think I was subbed in that game. But we were all in there because nobody was allowed to go and warm up yet.
“Everybody had to be there at half-time. It was weird because Jose was in his office and we were all just sitting there and nothing was happening. It was quite quiet.
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“Then he walked past as if he’d gone to the toilet and all of a sudden he came sprinting back in and fly-kicked the table. All the drinks went everywhere!
“I just looked on because I was still new at the club. I’m like, ‘What just happened?’ Then he just exploded… I quite like that though. I like that from a manager. Because he’s showing us he cares.
“I’d rather a manager like that than the one that’s quiet and talking behind your back and not explaining and not helping you get better. He would just tell you as it is. Players would crumble at that I think now.”
Wright-Phillips remembered one episode when Mourinho’s direct style resulted in him and team-mate Joe Cole being substituted within half an hour during a fixture against Fulham.
“If you weren’t pulling your weight, he would walk around and say, ‘You were s**t.’ And so on,” said Wright-Phillips. “There was a situation at Fulham where I wouldn’t necessarily say me and Joe Cole played badly.
“But we just didn’t get the ball. He took us off after 25 minutes in the first half. I was laughing out of like, ‘I can’t believe this just happened.’ Joe was raging.
“Coley was raging. But I had a little snigger, a chuckle, because I’m like, ‘It’s hurting me, but I’ve just got to hold this one.’ He said that it was tactical, but it worked because we didn’t lose the game. So then how do you argue with it?”
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