Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka has revealed Jose Mourinho's tutelage at Real Madrid was decisive in his transition from coaching to management.

In an exclusive interview with Guillem Balague, Karanka revealed Mourinho's honest, and at times volatile, approach presented opportunities that convinced him to take the step into the dug-out.

"With Jose you learn every single second. From the first minute he was always teaching me," the Boro boss told Sky Sports.

"Since I arrived with him he was really supportive with me and he told me that I was going to be one of them.

"One of his best traits is that he is honest and, for me, that is the main thing because as a coach you have to be honest.

"Sometimes in my career, managers would tell you something to keep the peace but with time you would realise their explanation wasn't the right one.

"Now some players leave my office thinking that I'm not a nice person but a few weeks later they know I told them the truth. It's difficult but you have to be honest.

"When I arrived I didn't have experience of working with kids in Spain but I did in my first season with Real Madrid.

"In the second season I started to hold more training sessions and in three years I did a load of press conferences too.

"Jose was sent off for a few games which meant I even had to manage the team, so I learnt a lot of things. After those three years, I felt that I was ready to start my career alone."