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Jose Mourinho has ordered Chelsea fans to lay off Steven Gerrard on Tuesday night and told them: “Give him the respect he deserves.”

The Special One is not amused by a chant ridiculing Gerrard’s fateful slip at Anfield last April, which allowed Demba Ba to open the scoring in Chelsea’s 2-0 win and ultimately cost Liverpool the title.

Mourinho’s tribute to Kop captain Gerrard – who was poised to sign for Chelsea 10 years ago before a last-ditch change of heart – is unlikely to draw the sting from a Capital One Cup semi-final first leg riddled with old scores.

But he said: “Gerrard is an historical player for Liverpool, an historical player for the Premier League, an opponent I always admired and respect.

(Image: Getty)

“Our fans have a song (about him) that I don’t like, I don’t like it at all.

“Maybe a couple of times it’s good fun, but to go on and go on, especially when a player like him deserves respect, I don’t think we need that. We have so many other songs that we don’t need that one.”

And in a thinly-veiled dig at former Blues midfielder Frank Lampard, who scored against Chelsea for title rivals Manchester City this season, the Portuguese sneered: “I love those quotes when Gerrard was saying that, in this life, he would never score against Liverpool.

In pictures - Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea, April 27 2014:

“I understand why he was almost, almost, almost coming to Chelsea... and he didn’t. I respect that a lot.

"The decision (to stay at Liverpool) for me was proven right because he will always be a Red for ever.”