Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell says he enjoyed working for Jose Mourinho when he was at Chelsea.

Sidwell was signed by the former Blues manager on a Bosman from Reading and told The Times: "He had instant respect. You could laugh and joke with him, but when it was time to work, everyone knew where to draw the line.

"It was a tough decision for me to leave, but I wanted regular football. You can play 50 Premier League games and retire a millionaire, but I wanted that feeling of driving home aching, flushed with the adrenalin of having scored or won, or the disappointment of losing."