Steve Sidwell has revealed how Chelsea players including John Terry were left crying on the floor when Jose Mourinho announced he was leaving in 2007.

The Blues squad were stunned into silence when the Portuguese boss sat them down in the dressing room to reveal his unexpected departure in September.

Speaking to the Atheltic, Sidwell said: “I never felt that tension or thought he was in trouble.

“There were a few games before, you could see things in the press and it really bubbled up. But you didn’t feel it on the inside. The players were all united, no one was turning against him, he hadn’t lost the dressing room.

“The day he went, I was driving my wife to the airport and the news came on the radio. I just thought, “S**t, he’s gone. What’s going to happen?

“It was awkward when Jose came to say his goodbyes. You could have heard a pin drop. It felt like someone had died.

“When you see strong characters like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry either crying on the floor or certainly welling up… I got upset as well. It was really weird.”