Jose Mourinho: 'I won't make same mistakes again'

Mourinho was holding his first press conference since being appointed Tottenham manager on Thursday, just a day after Mauricio Pochettino was sacked.

And while Mourinho has divided opinion, especially during his time at former club Manchester United, he was quick to dispel fears that his time at Spurs would be a repeat.

"During my career, I made mistakes," said Mourinho. I'm not going to make the same mistakes. I'll make new mistakes.

"I am humble. I am humble enough to try to analyse my career. Not just the last year but the problems and the solutions. The principle of my analysis was not to blame anyone else.”

Mourinho joins a Tottenham side that have faltered in recent weeks and look a far cry from the team that reached the Champions League final in June.

But Mourinho insisted he was happy to parachute into the club mid campaign and that he was delighted to be in a job with 'great potential'.

“I had a feeling I was going to get a club mid-season. I knew I would be in a situation where I would get only one or two days before my first game. I cannot come here and think it is about myself. It is about the players and going from a base of stability.

Much of the coverage around Mourinho's appointment has focused on whether he will bring a perceived arrogance into the role, a trait many believe causes him to overlook his own role in a club's failings.

And when asked about his new 'humble' self-depiction, Mourinho's answer may concern those hoping the Portuguese is an entirely changed man.

"I was always humble. The problem was that you didn’t understand that. I was always humble but it was in my way."

But perhaps some will be relieved that, at least for now, Mourinho wants to keep things similar to Pochettino in terms of style.

On how Tottenham will play under their new manager, he said: "Very similar to [Pochettino]. Of course I will try to add details, and sometimes details can make the difference. Progressively we can arrive at a fingerprint. The style of play must be adapted to the club culture and also the players here."

“Happiness-wise I am convinced my choice was a great one. [scale of 1-10] Ten. The job? Sometimes results make these decisions. I wouldn’t say it’s a job (to turn things around). The club is huge. I know that I have potentially a great job in my hands.

"The best gift are the players who are here. I don’t need new players. I just need to get to know these ones better.

"I've been smiling for two days."