View
comments
Roma defender Chris Smalling has admitted he was 'surprised and excited' at the appointment of 'born-winner' Jose Mourinho as manager and insisted there is no problem between the pair.
Mourinho has replaced Paulo Foncesca in the Italian capital after he was sacked by Tottenham in April, which sees him reunited with Smalling after spending two-and-a-half years together at Manchester United.
There has been much focus on a strained relationship between the pair after a number of disputes including when Mourinho publicly criticised the defender for not playing through pain in 2016, insisting at the time: 'For the team, you have to do anything.'
Chris Smalling (left) insists he was 'surprised and excited' by Jose Mourinho's Roma arrival
But the 31-year-old has acted to quickly to quell any talks of unrest between the pair, playing down the previous comments about him and insisting he is 'excited' to be working with the Portuguese manager again.
When asked
