Victor Lindelof on Jose Mourinho: 'I Have Nothing Bad to Say About Him'

Victor Lindelof has said he "will always be grateful" to Jose Mourinho despite the former Manchester United manager wanting to bring in a new centre-back before he left the club.

Mourinho signed Lindelof from Benfica for £31 million in June 2017. A year later, though, it was widely reported the Portuguese manager wanted to sign another centre-back despite already having a number of options in the position.

The Swedish defender never nailed down a regular starting spot under Mourinho, but he has been excellent since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced the 56-year-old in December.

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His transformation from error-prone liability to consistent stalwart has been one of the key improvements at United under Solskjaer as they have gone unbeaten in 11 Premier League matches.

Lindelof has said he bears no grudge against Mourinho, per Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail:

"Look, I will be always grateful to Jose. He bought me. I have nothing bad to say about him. When he wanted to buy other defenders, it was OK. I like the competition. You don't improve without it. I am lucky. I am mentally strong and can shut it all out. You want things to go well at a new club but life isn't that easy. So if you play badly you have to work more."

The most noticeable change Solskjaer has made at United since taking over has been to re-establish the exciting attacking style of play that was the club's trademark under Sir Alex Ferguson.

But he has also overseen a marked improvement in defence.

Under Mourinho in 2018-19, the Red Devils managed just two clean sheets in 17 matches. They have five from 11 under Solskjaer, most recently keeping out Liverpool's dangerous attack at Old Trafford:

When asked about what has changed under Solskjaer compared to Mourinho, Lindelof said:

"It's difficult to answer. He came in with this energy. Listening to his thoughts about football is an inspiration. Right from the start he came in with a smile. He explained what it means to play here, that was the first thing he said. I can't find the perfect word in English but he brought a presence. Ole has just made us think and made us trust our abilities again."

The Norwegian has clearly had a major impact on his fellow Scandinavian and is being repaid for his faith in Lindelof.

The 24-year-old has started 13 of the 15 matches for which Solskjaer has been in charge and is beginning to look like a £31 million defender.

Despite United's remarkable run under their interim boss, they still sit just outside the top four in the Premier League and need to keep winning if they are to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.

On Saturday, they host relegation-battling Southampton, a side they are now expected to beat with ease given their form.