A previous member of Manchester United's coaching staff has admitted that times were tough under Jose Mourinho.

Rod Thornley was at the Old Trafford club for almost 20 years, which gave him insight into various managers at the club.

While Mourinho did win the Europa League and Carabao Cup in his first season, his methods did not always go down well with players and staff.

"The best way I can explain Jose is on his good days, he was amazing to work for and he made me feel brilliant," Thornley confessed in an interview with Under the Cosh podcast.

"It made me feel better than Sir Alex [Ferguson] ever did.

“He made me a part of his little close circle and I loved it."

"On his bad days, God he was a nightmare. He knew I'll talk to a player and knew well to p*** a player off and stuff," Thornley added.

"It just depended on where he was at, not just that day, but that part of his contract and towards the end he was really hard work. But at the start, he was the first two years really Jose was brilliant.

"He was a prankster. So like when you get on a plane going on pre-season and stuff, he'd be one of them putting like whipped cream in people's hands so when they wake up people they'd go like that [splat motion]."