Exclusive: Jose Mourinho at the 'top of his career' after joining Manchester United

Jose Mourinho speaks to Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley in a Sky Sports exclusive. Watch the full interview in Friday Night Football from 6.30pm on SS1

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Jose Mourinho says he is at the "top of his career" as manager of Manchester United, and insists he can keep going as a manager for another 15 years.

The 53-year-old takes charge of his first competitive game at Old Trafford as United manager on Friday Night Football against Southampton, having won his opening two games against Leicester in the Community Shield and Bournemouth in the Premier League opener.

Mourinho's last 12 months have been topsy-turvy, going into last season as Premier League champions with Chelsea before being sacked in December, but the Portuguese boss says he has a while to go yet.

Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley help build Zlatan Ibrahimovic's face out of Manchester United and Southampton shirts ahead of the Friday Night Football. Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley help build Zlatan Ibrahimovic's face out of Manchester United and Southampton shirts ahead of the Friday Night Football.

Speaking to Sky Sports' Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley ahead of the first Friday Night Football of the season, Mourinho was confident his best as a boss is yet to come.

"I have been in some of the biggest clubs in the world," he said. "This is like the top of my career, but it comes in the early stage of my career.

"Because as a manager I am really young, and I think I have the best years of my career to come up.

"I was not joking [when I say 15 more years as a manager]. 53 plus 15 is 68, so I would say 14, 15, 16 more years, but I don't see myself going home before 70."

For the best part of 12 years Mourinho was the scourge of United, having lost only two of his 20 competitive games against them from his time at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Mourinho has lost only twice against Manchester United as an opposing manager

He famously ran down the Old Trafford touchline when his Porto beat Sir Alex Ferguson's side in 2004, but Mourinho insists he has upheld a good relationship with the United faithful.

"Even as an opponent I could create a good relationship with the fans, I never had problems, and I have not always behaved the best way. The first time I was running to celebrate a goal at touchline.

"I always tried to be nice and have a relationship with the fans at Old Trafford. This time I go and for the first time I can do what I never did, which is ask for their support. I always play against them, and this time they are on my side.

Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates scoring against Bournemouth in front of Mourinho

"As a fan you can go to the stadium and watch the game, or you can go and play, and what I ask them to do is go to Old Trafford and play. If they play, it's 80,000 + 11, versus 11, and the opposition has no chance. I give them that responsibility, if they are behind my players we have a big chance."

Remember, you can watch Friday Night Football from 6.30pm on Sky Sports 1, and Sky Sports customers can sign in to watch in-game clips from Old Trafford.

Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley will be joined at Sky Studios from Henry, Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher and Ryan Giggs.

Watch the interview on Friday Night Football on Sky Sports 1 from 6.30pm, or On Demand throughout the weekend