Mourinho: Why I Signed Bailly

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has provided an insight into Eric Bailly’s strengths and outlined why the defender can succeed at Old Trafford.

Ivory Coast international Bailly became Mourinho's first signing as Reds boss when he completed his move from Villarreal on a four-year contract last month.

The 22-year-old is something of an unknown quantity to many fans in the UK but Mourinho knows all about his abilities, though the manager accepts his new signing could take time to adapt at United.

"I could compare him with some players I’ve had previously but I don’t want to do it because obviously the other boys play for other clubs," Mourinho said in an exclusive interview with MUTV.

"But he is a player who we believe has all the attributes. He is very strong physically and very fast. It’s not so easy to find a fast player when you have quite a big body; he’s a heavy guy, a tall boy who's really fast.

"He comes from a Spanish culture where the first phases are important so technically he’s very good. For some periods, he played right-back and, because playing in the right-back position demands more from an attacking point of view, it’s good for a centre-back to play some periods as a right-back.

"My only question mark at the moment is one I have to help him delete – the question mark of someone who has never played at such a big club with so many responsibilities and so many expectations.

"So is Eric ready to come here and start performing from day one? I don’t know. It is a question mark but my job is to delete that question mark as soon as possible and give him the stature, brain and personality to play for Manchester United."