Newcastle United defender Davide Santon admits he's been fortunate with the managers he's worked for.
Santon, who joined Newcastle for £5million, believes he has recovered from a quiet start to his own career in England, and looks up to Magpies manager Alan Pardew in the way he did to his Inter mentor Jose Mourinho.
Santon told the Sunday Mirror: "Jose Mourinho was really important to me because he was the manager who put me on the pitch for the first time. He gave me lots of confidence, so I have to thank him for everything. He's an amazing coach and what he did really helped me in my career.
"Alan Pardew is something like Mourinho. In difficult situations, he gives us belief, something special when he talks to us.
"When Newcastle go on the pitch, we always believe we can win. I think Pardew is a really good coach.
"Some teams in Italy wanted me, but I want to stay in Newcastle. This is a really good team for me to improve because there are really young players
"At this moment, I don't want to go back to Italy. I am very happy here. This year I really feel more confident than last season and I'm enjoying Newcastle - but I know I can do better."
