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Wayne Bridge reveals he almost ‘had a tear up’ with Jose Mourinho and that he ‘smashed the changing room up’ after being substituted for Ashley Cole’s Chelsea debut in 2006
- Ashley Cole’s arrival at Chelsea began the demise of Wayne Bridge’s Blues spell
- The left-back started the first three games of 2006-07 under Jose Mourinho
- Bridge was then taken off for Cole against Charlton, who became the first-choice
- The Englishman has admitted Jose Mourinho made him feel like an ‘outcast’
Wayne Bridge revealed a prime example of Jose Mourinho‘s ruthless management style, admitting he came close to a ‘tear up’ with the Portuguese boss at Chelsea.
The former England star began the 2006-07 season as Mourinho’s first-choice left-back before the Blues’ sensational deadline-day swoop for Arsenal‘s Ashley Cole.
Cole had already established himself in north London, playing in the Champions League final and forming part of the iconic ‘Invincibles’ squad.
Wayne Bridge has revealed what is felt like to be a Jose Mourinho ‘outcast’ while at Chelsea
Ashley Cole’s arrival from Arsenal in 2006 was the beginning of the end for Bridge at Chelsea
Bridge admits coming close to blows with Mourinho after Cole replaced him against Charlton
Bridge has revealed he ‘knew my time at Chelsea was up’ after being hauled-off for Cole’s debut, leaving the pitch in the 62nd minute of a 2-1 victory over Charlton at Stamford Bridge.
‘I was gutted because I was playing some of the best football of my career but I knew deep down I’d never be able to be first choice again,’ Bridge told Coral.
‘When Mourinho subbed me and Shaun Wright-Phillips off, I came off and smashed the changing room up.
‘I was so angry and my pride had really been dented. The only reason I didn’t have a tear up with Jose after the game was because we’d won.
Bridge lost his battle with Cole for the left-back spot and was sold on to Manchester City
Meanwhile, Cole remained one of Mourinho’s favoured players and enjoyed huge success
‘Later I was back in the team. Jose does things differently to other managers and it could be difficult at times.’
Bridge inevitably lost his battle for first-choice, making just 12 Premier League starts in the follow two seasons before moving on to Manchester City – while Cole cemented himself among the greatest full-backs of all time in his eight years at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho, now managing fierce rivals Tottenham and preparing to lead Harry Kane and Co into battle against Frank Lampard’s men on Sunday, is notorious for his brutal treatment of players.
Dele Alli is the latest to receive Mourinho’s cold shoulder, but many have come before him at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
At Spurs, Dele Alli has been the latest player to be made an ‘outcast’ by the Portuguese boss
‘I had a tough spell under Mourinho where I was in and out of the team, although I did turn a corner with him at one stage before injuries unfortunately got in my way,’ Bridge explained.
‘He could be a tough person to play for. When you were in favour with him it was great, but when you weren’t you could feel like an outcast.
‘I think that was his way of looking for a positive reaction from players who weren’t in the team at that time. Joe (Cole) and I always worked hard when we weren’t playing but there were some who would go completely the other way.
‘It definitely felt like he had his favourites and there were times where you wouldn’t speak to him for weeks.’
