'Jose Mourinho's intended classy gesture failed to come off – it only caused me problems'

Celestine Babayaro spent 8 years astatine Chelsea earlier sealing a determination to Newcastle successful 2005, but helium was near red-faced aft a petition from Jose Mourinho connected the last time of the season

Jose Mourinho asked Celestine Babayaro to articulation successful Chelsea's defender of honour – contempt the information that helium was with Newcastle United astatine the time.

The ex-Blues defender, who had an eight-year spell astatine Stamford Bridge aft signing successful 1997 from Anderlecht, saw constricted enactment towards the extremity of his Chelsea tenure. He made conscionable 5 appearances nether Mourinho during the archetypal six months of the Portuguese's bid successful westbound London.

Babayaro waved goodbye to westbound London successful January 2005, transferring to Newcastle. While Chelsea clinched the league title, the erstwhile Nigeria planetary missed retired connected the Premier League medal arsenic helium fell abbreviated of the indispensable 10 appearances, having played lone 4 times.

Yet, contempt not sharing successful the glory of being a recognised league champion with the Blues, Mourinho did not place Babayaro's past efforts erstwhile Chelsea visited St. James' Park connected the last time of the season.

Speaking astatine the Ladbrokes' Gaffer event, helium revealed that Mourinho held him successful specified esteem that helium wanted the Nigerian to enactment up with his aged Chelsea team-mates for a defender of honour. "When I deliberation of standout memories with Jose, I really deliberation astir my determination to Newcastle, and however helium inactive played a portion successful my career, contempt maine not playing for the nine anymore," helium said.

"So, I signed for Newcastle successful January 2005, and we played Chelsea, who were champions, connected the past time of the season, astatine home. Because they'd already won the league, we had to caput retired of the passageway archetypal and springiness them a defender of honour, which is evidently what you bash for the champions.

"I was successful the passageway with my Newcastle team-mates, and Jose tapped maine connected the shoulder, 'Celestine, you cognize you won the league with us? I cognize you're a Newcastle subordinate now, but tin you locomotion retired with the lads?'

"Up until that moment, I didn't deliberation for a 2nd astir it. It was lone erstwhile Jose tapped maine that I decided to bash it, and my God, I got truthful overmuch instrumentality for doing that. I did it due to the fact that helium asked maine to! So, I joined the Chelsea line-up and walked retired with them."

After participating successful the defender of honour, Babayaro confessed that portion his post-match acquisition wasn't the greatest, helium retains a coagulated transportation with Mourinho to this day. He added (via Football London): "My team-mates went out, did the defender of honour, and the fans are retired there, looking astatine the Chelsea team, and I'm a portion of it ohio my God... I did not person a bully clip aft that match!

"We inactive person a large narration today; he's the manager of Fenerbahce present I nonstop him messages each truthful often, and helium replies. He's been a large inspiration to me. I didn't play overmuch nether him, due to the fact that it was successful my second stages with the club, wherever I was getting injured truthful much. But I person a truly bully narration with him."

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