Aurier Benefitting From Mourinho’s Arrival, Says Rio Ferdinand
Former England defender Rio Ferdinand says Tottenham Hotspur right-back Serge Aurier is back to his brilliant best thanks to the arrival of Jose Mourinho.
The Ivorian followed up his impressive performance against West Ham United on Saturday with another scintillating one, assisting Dele Alli and scoring the third goal en route to Tottenham’s comeback in the Champions League game against Olympiacos on Tuesday.
The hosts were stunned by two early goals from Youssef El Arabi and Ruben Semedo but a highly spirited second half display from Mourinho’s men overturned the scoreline.
The 26-year-old often struggled for form under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, and has been heavily criticized by pundits including Ferdinand.
Aurier’s immediate resurgence under the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager has caught the eye of the 41-year-old.
The former center-half believes Aurier’s recent form is down to the arrival of the Portuguese coach.
'When a new manager comes in there's sometimes one player who benefits, at the moment it's him,’ the former Leeds United defender said on BT Sports.
'He was someone we were talking about as a car crash but he's stepped up.'
Fellow pundit and former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Glenn Hoddle believes Mourinho’s tactical changes is bringing the best out of the Ivory Coast international.
'He's allowed to get himself really high up the pitch. It's a wonderful finish, he just guides it,’ Hoddle said about Aurier’s goal.
‘It's all about the technique.'
Tottenham face Bournemouth at home in the Premier League on Saturday before a trip to Old Trafford to play against Mourinho’s former team Manchester United.
