Benni McCarthy admits he tried to force a move to Chelsea after his first season at Ewood Park and suffered as a result of Rovers turning down the advances of Jose Mourinho.

McCarthy scored 24 times in 2006/07 after arriving at Rovers from Porto where he had previously worked with the Portuguese boss.

His form in front of goal in his debut year at Rovers prompted Mourinho to line-up a reunion with the South Africa, but Rovers stood firm, rejecting the offers, with McCarthy spending three more years in East Lancashire.

But McCarthy admits his form and mental state suffered as a result of the failed move to Stamford Bridge, despite his great relationship with Rovers boss Mark Hughes.

The striker hit 11 and 13 goals respectively in the next two campaigns,but by the time he left for West Ham in February 2010, his career was on a downward trajectory,

“Sparky was amazing, a super humble man and very softly spoken. He was caring, he didn’t like confrontation," said McCarthy.

“If you had an issue you could talk to him. I felt he respected me, he gave me a lot of attention and I did the business for him on the pitch. I was playing in England for the first time and scoring a lot, 24 goals in my first season.

“Then Chelsea came knocking on the door again. Mourinho wanted me. He’s always wanted me.

“I asked Blackburn if they could sell me. I wanted to play Champions League again, to play for Mourinho as he ruffled more feathers in the Premier League. Blackburn said no, which I understand. I tried to force the move but it wasn’t enough. My mental state began to suffer, my football began to suffer”

Lancashire Telegraph:

McCarthy then moved in to management after an ill-fated spell with the Hammers, spending two years in charge of Cape Town City before leaving in November.

He is on the lookout for a job in Europe and discussed the manager's he's worked under during an interview with The Athletic.

And he picked out Welshman Hughes as one of the standouts.

He said: “Sparky wants his players to be happy, to feel part of something.

“There was little friction at the club, which was nice. If I was off form he wouldn’t tell me off, but to keep working hard.

“Maybe players would want to know when they haven’t been training well. He didn’t deliver bad news until you could be on the bench at the weekend.

“Sparky is a top manager, though if you’re going to ask me between whether I’d prefer for Mourinho or Sparky, I’d say Mourinho.”