Jose Mourinho has picked his best ever football player and explained why he doesn’t regard Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in his pick.

Cristiano and Messi have achieved unimaginable success with many agreeing that the GOAT debate should only involve the two.

The players have thirteen Ballon d’Ors between them and have won many silverware including the Champions League and league titles, while the Argentine superstar added the World Cup trophy last year.

Diego Maradona and Pele are also regarded among the best ever, but Jose Mourinho doesn’t fall into any of those camps.

Instead, the ‘special one’ believes that Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario is the greatest talent to grace a football pitch.

Mourinho was first impressed by the former striker when he was working under legendary boss Bobby Robson as an interpreter at Barcelona.

The Portuguese gaffer told LiveScore, as cited the Mirror: “Ronaldo, El Fenomeno. Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years.

“However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo. When he was at Barcelona with Bobby Robson, I realised that he was the best player I’d ever seen take to the field.

“Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible.”