‘Liverpool are a team that interests everyone’ – Jose Mourinho has already made his feelings on Anfield job clear as odds are slashed

From “Normal” to “Special”?

When Jurgen Klopp referred to Jose Mourinho in his very first press conference as Liverpool manager, he could never have imagined that the Portuguese could succeed him nine years later.

Klopp declared himself a ‘Normal One’ in 2015 after being asked how he compared to Mourinho, who called himself a ‘Special One’ in 2004.

Ironically, Mourinho’s links with Anfield began even before his lavish arrival at Stamford Bridge twenty years ago.

When he was first approached by then-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich while at Porto, he made it clear that he preferred the challenge of restoring Liverpool to their former glory.

Mourinho said: “Liverpool is a team that interests everyone and Chelsea doesn’t interest me that much because it’s a new project in which a lot of money is invested.”

The 61-year-old was eventually lured by Chelsea and unveiled on June 2, 2004, just 14 days before Liverpool announced Rafa Benitez.

After a whirlwind 20 years, the chances of Mourinho finally joining Liverpool have diminished.

He was spotted scoring the club’s 3-1 away win at Fulham at Craven Cottage just hours before his compatriot was seemingly ruled out of the running.

Ruben Amorim has become the latest managerial target Liverpool have struggled to agree to terms to replace Klopp after an ill-fated pursuit of Xabi Alonso.

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While former Reds midfielder Alonso was many fans’ dreams, the man who first tapped him to become a great manager has his own vision of Anfield.

This is despite Mourinho making himself public enemy number one at Anfield almost as soon as he got to work at Chelsea.

He silenced Liverpool fans in the 2005 Carling Cup final, with a Steven Gerrard own goal helping him win his first trophy in English football.

Reds icon Gerrard then found himself at the center of the fierce Mourinho-Benitez rivalry which spanned two Champions League semi-finals, the FA Cup semi-finals and, of course , the Premier League.

Mourinho also launched several public lawsuits to keep Gerrard away from his boyhood club.

He said: “I tried to bring him to Chelsea, I tried to bring him to Inter, I tried to bring him to Real Madrid, but he was always a dear enemy. I dreamed of having Claude Makelele, Gerrard and Frank Lampard in midfield.

Gerrard himself later admitted he would have signed three times if he “hadn’t been a Liverpool fan”, following the promise of the biggest prizes in the game.

In a cruel twist of fate, Mourinho then revealed himself to be the manager who denied the former England captain the trophy he most coveted.

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In 2014, Liverpool were seemingly on the verge of ending what would have been a 24-year wait for a league title when Demba Ba punished a Gerrard misstep to earn Chelsea a decisive 2-0 victory.

Speaking on the Obi One podcast, Mourinho explained: “We were on the bus and the guys outside were selling shirts with ‘Liverpool Champions’ on them, and you can’t allow that as Chelsea. You have to keep marketing and merchandise in a box.

“We played a fantastic game. Of course Stevie G slipped, and he was the last person to deserve that to happen, but that’s part of football and actually we played so well.”

The result effectively gave Manchester City the Premier League title, and ironically it would now be Mourinho’s job to reclaim it.

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The first of his big decisions if he takes the reins at Anfield would be the future of Mohamed Salah.

talkSPORT revealed this month that Liverpool are preparing for a new approach to Saudi Arabia for Salah as he approaches the final 12 months of his contract.

Mourinho was memorably at Chelsea during the Egyptian’s first spell in England, but has denied claims he was the one who sold him.

“When people say ‘you let Salah go’, I say the exact opposite,” Mourinho added. “I bought Salah. I was the one who said “buy this guy”. He was going from Basel to Liverpool and I fought. I fought for him to come to Chelsea.

“Then comes the role of a Chelsea player, you have to perform or wait. He didn’t want to wait and wanted to go on loan, then Chelsea decided at one point to sell. That wasn’t me.”

Salah curiously started Gerrard’s game – for Chelsea – which ended with Liverpool’s title heartbreak and Mourinho running down the Anfield touchline beating his chest.

If similar scenes occurred in red Liverpool ten years later, it would be far from normal but it would be an epic final chapter for a ‘Special One’…