Jose Mourinho has acknowledged he was wrong to hold a one-on-one training session with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele during the coronavirus lockdown.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mourinho was spotted working with Ndombele on Hadley Common in Barnet during the lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has brought a halt to football.

Mourinho, despite keeping his distance from Ndombele during their work, faced a backlash for going against instructions to "Stay At Home, Save Lives". Among the only reasons to leave home is to exercise once a day alone or with members of the same household.

Tottenham were unimpressed with his actions and issued a reminder to Mourinho of what is expected of him and the players during the lockdown.

Spurs players Ryan Sessegnon and Davinson Sanchez were videoed running together, while Serge Aurier was also spotted training with a companion.

Mourinho has not apologised for his behaviour, but did issue a statement that read: “I accept that my actions were not in line with government protocol and we must only have contact with members of our own household. It is vital we all play our part and follow government advice in order to support our heroes in the NHS and save lives.”

Mourinho has faced criticism for his actions from a host of high-profile figures including the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, who said: “Listen, we've all got to obey the rules, haven't we. If we want to clear this thing up. We've got to make sure if we're told to stay in and keep our distance, then we've got to do it.”

Tottenham have been holding regular online group training sessions between Mourinho, his staff and the players that adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Record signing Ndombele has suffered fitness issues throughout his first season at Tottenham since joining from Lyon and has attracted criticism from Mourinho.