Tottenham fullback Kyle Walker says he was assured about Andre Villas-Boas by Chelsea star Ashley Cole.

Walker revealed how his fellow England full-back Ashley Cole played up the credentials of AVB despite the well-chronicled fallouts at Stamford Bridge.

He said: "Ashley had nothing but positive things to say about him.

"I remember playing against Ashley when the gaffer was at Chelsea. He was incredibly difficult to mark because of the way the gaffer gets his full-backs playing.

"Jose Mourinho was known as the Special One - maybe he learned from him."