Abraham admits working with the 'world's best manager Jose Mourinho' convinced him to sign for Roma

Tammy Abraham said working under Jose Mourinho at Roma was a major draw to signing for the Serie A side in August 2021.

Abraham joined Roma on a five-year deal worth £34million after struggling to cement his place in Thomas Tuchel's starting XI at Chelsea.

The 24-year-old winger said he couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with the 'best manager in the world' and credited Mourinho for pushing him to 'be better'.

When asked whether Mourinho's role as the Roma manager encouraged him to sign for the club, Abraham told TalkSPORT: 'It [Mourinho] was a factor involved, yes.

'As a young English lad I wanted to stay in England. Rome came along and Atalanta and many different teams around the world, I was telling myself I wanted to stay in the Premier League and that I had something to prove.

'But my dad, parents and agent sat me down and said you scored goals at Chelsea, Swansea and Bristol City, go and test the waters, go and experience life abroad.

'When they were speaking it kind of dawned on me that not many players can say they've gone out in Italy, to Serie A and a team like Rome.

'I never back down from a challenge so when this challenge came along I thought as I'm still young this is the best time for me to go and do it.'

Mourinho challenged Abraham to be 'better' for Roma despite the fact he scored a match-winning brace in their derby against Lazio on Sunday.

'Great performance,' Mourinho told DAZN after Roma's  3-0 win. 'Today was really special because it seemed that everything we had planned was put on the field.

'Lazio in the second half tried to play with pride but we never lost control. No doubt, the boys deserved the victory.

'When you say Abraham is fantastic, I disagree, he can do even more. I demand a lot of him because I know his potential, I'm not talking about goals but he must play every game with this attitude.'

Some players would have felt dejected following Mourinho's comments, but Abraham is using his remarks as motivation.

When asked about Mourinho's statement following Roma's victory, Abraham said: 'You know Mourinho's a character that we all know.

'There's a reason why I call him the best manager in the world. He knows how to drive you, he knows how to get under your skin and he knows how to make you feel like a very special player at times.

'He'll never tell you but I always want to do my best for him. He pushes me to do my best. When I feel like I've done enough he tells me I have to do more.

'I experienced him when I was at Chelsea as a kid, I went to train with the first-team and he was always hard on me, he was always pushing me to better myself – I felt like when I did something right he'd tell me to do it better.

'That's exactly what I needed, that push and that drive, especially after the difficult season I had at Chelsea where I wasn't playing and getting much game time.

'To come here and have a manager like Mourinho to coach you, to believe in you only gives you more confidence.'