Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka has revealed he turned down Chelsea.

The Spaniard, 43, rejected the offer to be an assistant at Stamford Bridge, and Jose Mourinho went on to guide the Blues to the Premier League title that season.

Karanka said: “I got the call from Jose to go to Chelsea but at that time I was not going to be as useful to him as I was at Real Madrid where I knew the language, I knew the club, I knew the league.

“It was amazing to be offered the role of an assistant to him in the club because he had not offered that to anyone else.

“I told him that I thought the time had arrived for me to be a coach. He was actually really pleased I turned it down because he said it proved I was ready.

“I have no regrets because my chance to manage arrived a few months later and it was the right chance."