Sign up to FREE email alerts from Manchester Evening News - daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Jose Mourinho has declared Manchester United's second-placed finish last season as one of the biggest achievements in his career.

The Reds were one of the few teams to beat Manchester City with a 3-2 derby win in April. However, their title hopes were all but ended with a dire defeat to the Blues at Old Trafford in December and they ended a gigantic 19 points behind Pep Guardiola's side .

Mourinho, who has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan and has won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, has been in a foul mood this summer ahead of the start of the 2018/19 Premier League season.

And in trying to make a point about the lack of recognition his team received last season, the United coach placed finishing runners-up to City as one of his career highlights.

"When I listen, when I read - not much but sometimes I do - it is difficult to believe that we finished second," he said, "because you are capable of making people that finish second look like they were relegated, and people who win nothing and finish below us look like serial winners.

"It is difficult for me to understand, to feel, to believe we finish second - which I keep saying, and it is sometimes difficult to believe. I won eight championships and three Premier Leagues but I keep feeling the second [place] last season was one of my biggest achievements in the game."