Jose Mourinho's 1st Manchester United Interview: Key Quotes, Comments, Reaction

Newly appointed Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed his desire to "forget the past three years" at Old Trafford and instead focus on reviving some of the club's older successes.

The Portuguese was confirmed as Louis van Gaal's replacement on Friday, per BBC Sport, and spoke to MUTV (via BBC Sport's Simon Stone) in his first interview since the announcement:

Manchester United's official Instagram account posted footage of the new boss's first interview as Red Devils chief:

Van Gaal signed off from his two-year spell with United by winning the FA Cup, but Mourinho is eager to make his own imprint at Old Trafford, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

Mourinho made his return to management six months after being fired from the Chelsea helm, and huge pressure is on his shoulders to ensure the mistakes of that second Stamford Bridge spell aren't repeated.

But the 53-year-old spoke of his managerial hiatus as a positive thing, pushing the notion he feels re-energised to take on the task of a "giant club" after a time out of the sport, per Luckhurst:

"

I feel great, I think it comes in the right moment of my career because Man United is one of these clubs where you need to be prepared for it, because it is what I used to call a giant club. And giant clubs must be for the best managers, and I think I am ready for it.

So I can say I am happy, I am proud, I am honoured, but the reality is that what I love is to work and I cannot wait for 7th July to go onto the pitch.

"

Mourinho elaborated on his previous encounters with United and the sense of empathy he always felt at Old Trafford, a feeling that perhaps turned into a precursor to his appointment:

"

What I think is very important and curious is I have played so many times against Man United and I played so many times at Old Trafford with other clubs and there was empathy, no problems. In fact I was pushed by that feeling to say sometimes my clubs were not happy with.

I remember for example when I won at Old Trafford with Real Madrid I told that the best team lost and not many people were happy at Real Madrid.

"

After United endured a failed season under David Moyes and two disappointing campaigns under Van Gaal, the Special One arrives with a mixture of hope and fear for what could follow at Old Trafford.

However, the MEN's Rob Dawson saw the manager's simple statement of intent as a strong and easy-to-interpret declaration of his desire to bring the glory days back to the club:

Meanwhile, John Brewin of ESPN FC and Sky Sports' Peter Hall saw the new boss's first club interview as all too befitting of the fraternity he's just joined:

Despite the sour note upon which his second Chelsea spell ended, Mourinho is a proven force in the Premier League, and just as his new club is, he is hoping to revive a once-golden reputation.

It's been 12 years since Mourinho led FC Porto to a knockout-stage win over United en route to the 2004 UEFA Champions League crown, and he makes his way back to Old Trafford now as a friend and no longer a foe.