Jose Mourinho is a "brand" who "possesses all human virtues" and nothing like the cold character he's portrayed as in the media, Nemanja Matic has explained.

Matic worked with the divisive Portuguese boss at Chelsea and jumped at the chance to join his at Manchester United.

The midfielder described Mourinho as the best coach he has ever worked with in a glowing appraisal of his boss, as reported in the Manchester Evening News.

Mourinho brought Matic back to Chelsea for £21million in January 2014 amid interest from David Moyes' United.

The Serbia international rewarded his faith by helping the Stamford Bridge club to two Premier League titles in three years.

Nemanja Matic has waxed lyrical about Jose Mourinho (
Image:
REX/Shutterstock)

United tried to sign Matic last year - just eight months after Mourinho substituted him during Chelsea's galling home defeat to Southampton - having sent Matic on at half-time.

Despite that setback, Matic clearly harbours no ill feelings towards is boss with some glowing insight into the manager.

Matic, 29, reunited with Mourinho at United in the summer after Chelsea agreed to sell him for a fee rising up to £40m and the Serbia international has quickly impressed at Old Trafford.

"Mourinho is a brand, and the best coach I've ever worked with," Matic told Air Serbia's in-flight magazine Elevate.

"Sometimes it isn't easy to work with him, because he always demands more. Even when you play the best match in your career, he considers that you can play better in the next match.

"I cooperated excellently with him at Chelsea, and the fact that Mourinho is the coach at Manchester was the decisive factor in my choosing my new environment.

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"Privately he's completely different from the way he is perceived by the general public.

"This is a man who possesses all human virtues. He's not at all cold or conceited, as he is presented in the media.

Matic says Mourinho is nothing like he's portrayed in the media (
Image:
Getty)

"He has created an excellent group of players with huge potential, and everything is there for us to achieve good results.

"I don't want to talk about the goals of the club, but when I mention Manchester United I think the ambitions are clear to everyone. We will do our best to achieve the results that previous generations had."