Ballon d'Or Delighted by Ballon d'Or announcement

After Cristiano Ronaldo secured his fifth Ballon d'Or on Thursday, Jose Mourinho made clear that the forward's name and legacy will be known by future generations of children, just as is the case with Pele to this day.

Ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby, the former Real Madrid coach took the time to congratulate his fellow countryman on the scale of his achievements.

"My children never saw Pele play, but they know who he is," he explained in an interview with France Football.

"In 40 years their kids will know who Cristiano is, and he will be part of the football story forever."

The pair worked together at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu although there were many points of conflict between them, something the current Manchester United coach refused to delve into.

"It's something that is part of my job and I don't wish to make it public," he admitted.

"Many things were written and said that were false or exaggerated.

"The only thing I can say is that I don't have a personal problem with him, I think he feels the same."

Whilst many coach-player partnerships are almost put in the category of a similar bond to that between a father and a son, Mourinho believes the relationship he had with the Ballon d'Or holder was a professional one.

"It was a simply a good coach-player relationship," he confirmed.

"What united us was a desire to win trophies together.

"In the three years we spent together, I think he improved as a player with me and I improved as a coach with him."