Besiktas star Ricardo Quaresma admits his time with Inter Milan left him in tears.

The Portuguese talent was brought in on the express demands of Coach Mourinho in the summer of 2008, but failed to make his mark and was often jeered by the San Siro crowd.

"My biggest regret was joining Inter," he told Portuguese newspaper Publico.

"My happiness and self-confidence were taken away from me. At one point I wasn't even called up any more. I felt on the margins of the squad and woke up crying when I had to attend training sessions."

Despite being Mourinho's big transfer request for €18.6m, Quaresma barely featured for the Nerazzurri and was shipped off on loan to Chelsea in January 2009. He was eventually sold to Turkish outfit Besiktas for a reported €7m.

"I still haven't understood some things that happened with him. As soon as I arrived in Milan, it was made clear to me that I was only signed because Mourinho wanted me.

"Then, suddenly, I stopped playing. It's true I wasn't at my physical peak and watching the games back on television I didn't even recognise myself, but if a Coach requests you and then doesn't help in your time of need...

"Mou said on television that I let myself get intimidated by the Inter fans, but I was never afraid of them. I'm not even scared of the supporters here in Turkey, where there is even more media pressure than in Italy.

"The truth is that I spent a very delicate phase of my life in Italy. It would've been better if I had closed my eyes and only woken up now."