Former Blues captain John Terry has talked of how Chelsea stars were left in bits when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2007.

The Portuguese boss had five trophies in a stunning three-year spell with Roman Abramovich’s cash but was given his marching orders after a dip in form.

Terry told Sky Sports: “We were all in tears. It was one of those moments where there were whispers going around, we weren’t performing as well, we weren’t doing as well in the league.

“And then he came in and said: ‘That’s it, I’ve been sacked.’ He went around and gave everyone a hug and a cuddle.

“Full-grown men crying their eyes out. We were thinking: ‘Where do we go from here?’ We had someone like a father figure, guiding us.”

“We actually spoke to the board and said: ‘Listen, we want him to stay, can we not bring him back? It’s a rash decision, he’s the best we’ve worked with.’ Unfortunately they’d made their decision. But yes, there were full-grown men in absolute tears.”