Jose Mourinho has been branded ‘brutal’ by Andre Schurrle – with the former Chelsea star claiming the Special One drove him to the brink of quitting football.

Retired Germany international Schurrle attacked Mourinho’s management and blames his time with the Blues for losing his self-confidence.

Current Tottenham boss Mourinho signed the winger from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, at the start of his second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Schurrle, 29, fumed in a YouTube interview with German TV host Joko Winterscheidt: “Jose Mourinho is a brutal guy. I always wondered to myself, just what was he doing?

“How could he treat me the way he did, and just what did he do to people? In hindsight I realise what he wanted to do, and how he worked to achieve it.

“At the time I couldn’t come to terms with what he wanted from me, with his harshness and the psychological pressure he created.

“It was extremely difficult for me at times. I often drove home after having a conversation with him thinking I couldn’t take it any more.”