Chelsea midfielder Ramires has said that he is "hugely excited" to get to work under new boss Jose Mourinho.
The Brazilian revealed that he has already spoken to the Portuguese coach, who called him "out of the blue" to assure him of his importance to the team.
"I'm hugely excited about getting down to work with Mourinho," The Mirror quotes the 26-year-old as saying. "He called me a few days ago, out of the blue, which was a surprise to me.
"We talked a lot and he said a lot of nice things to me, including the fact that he tried to sign me from Benfica when he was at both Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
"Mourinho told me he was very happy to have me at Chelsea. I was very glad to hear that and told him he can count on me."
Ramires said that Mourinho's confidence in his ability makes him even more determined to drive the Blues on to glory next year.
He added: "I said, 'I'll do everything in my power to help you be victorious in this new spell at the club'.
"He spoke of his excitement too and knowing how much he wanted to work with me made me even more motivated for next year. I have a feeling that it will be a very good season for us."
The Brazil international arrived at Stamford Bridge from Benfica three years ago.
Michael Penkman
