Hiddink says his task was to 'restore confidence' in the dressing room

Guus Hiddink has claimed he saved Chelsea players from relegation and the club from drowning as he nears the end of his second stint as interim Blues manager.

Owner Roman Abramovich sent for the Dutch coach in December after sacking Jose Mourinho for leading the defending champions to just one point above the relegation zone.

At the time there was talk of salvaging a top-four place, but Hiddink revealed survival was the real mission assigned by his Russian boss.

Guus Hiddink has claimed he saved Chelsea players from relegation and the club from drowning

Hiddink arrived in December to replace Jose Mourinho and was given a mandate to keep the club up

The first half of the season saw Chelsea limp towards the relegation places in the Premier League

CHELSEA UNDER GUUS HIDDINK Feb-May 2009 Played: 22 Won: 16 Drawn: 5 Lost: 1 December 2015-present Played: 23 Won: 10 Drawn: 8 Lost: 5 Advertisement

Speaking ahead of Monday night's visit of arch rivals Tottenham, Hiddink was asked if he feared he would be in a relegation battle at the end of the season.

'Realistically we were on the spot,' he said. 'You look at the situation that Newcastle are in now. They are a big club and now they are fighting to get out [of relegation zone].'

Hiddink said some of the Chelsea star players needed kicking back into shape before they sank without trace.

He explained: 'What I had to do maybe was to get them more confident on one hand. Maybe on the other some were a bit complacent so we had to break moods in them.

'Was there a danger from being in 16th or 17th position, yes? When the water is up to here,' he added, patting the back of his hand under his chin, 'you have to be vary careful you don't get drowned.'

Mourinho was sacked after the Blues found themselves within a point of the drop zone at one point

The prospect of relegation would have been a monumental footballing fall from grace had Hiddink not steadied the ship.

Offered the opportunity to rate his own performance, he responded: 'I came here in difficult circumstances with the team not getting the points. I had to restore the confidence in this team and this club. I am not happy about myself but I am happy how the team reacted when we were in a desperate situation.

'People [here] start sweating because there are experiences in the past where but clubs can go down. From thereon I am satisfied with the reaction of the team.

'I would have loved to have gone into the next round of the Champions League, I would have loved to have got to the FA Cup final. If that had happened I would have given myself a 10 plus.

'I am just happy that the team reacted in a difficult situation. But it wasn't a one man issue. I had a lot of support.'

Now he believes he has left a team capable of challenging for the top honours again when new boss Antonio Conte takes the helm this summer. But he warned it will not be an easy ride for the former Italy national manager.

Hiddink cautioned: 'It is how you deal with the pressure, but there is always pressure in big clubs, especially when others are knocking on the door.

Abramovich recruited Hiddink for a second time and told him to make sure his team stayed in the top flight

The pressure is always on and we have to seize Chelsea again next year and fight for the title again and being on top again. Guus Hiddink

'The pressure is always on and we have to seize Chelsea again next year and fight for the title again and being on top again.

'There will be many teams fighting for the title, but there are [only] five or six clubs who must always express their desire for the title - including Chelsea.'

Aside from local rivalry, Monday's Stamford Bridge showdown could be rendered meaningless if Leicester snuff out Tottenham's feint challenge by winning the title on Sunday with victory at Manchester United.

Hiddink is not taking sides, unlike some of his Leicester-supporting players, but admitted it would be good for the game if Claudio Ranieri's men triumph.

After revealing he was hoping to recall skipper John Terry from injury for the match, he said: 'Both here and abroad you hear people say this is refreshing for English football. They (Leicester) are admired by football people worldwide and they respect it.'