He was class act after my mum’s death says Lamps

FRANK LAMPARD says phone calls when his mother died will always make Jose Mourinho special to him.

Chelsea’s record goalscorer yesterday revealed a side to the Manchester United boss that few people ever see.

Lampard takes his Derby side to United tonight in the Carabao Cup to face his old boss for the first time as a manager.

The two spoke on the phone in the past couple of days after Lampard’s wife Christine gave birth to the baby daughter they have named Patricia after his mum Pat who died in 2008.

And it was then that Mourinho went from the ‘The Special One’ to ‘The Caring One’ in Lampard’s eyes.

“Jose is strong on family,” said the former Chelsea midfielder, 40.

“He was at Inter Milan when I lost my mother. But he rang me constantly and things like that are special to you at times like that.

“We have just spoken on the phone again but it was all family related.

“It was all about my baby daughter. We didn’t talk about the game.

“It was just a call and the fact that I now have three daughters! We didn’t touch on the game.

“He sent me a nice message when I got the job here.

“I don’t call him generally for advice or anything but I know it’s there for me if I wanted it.”

Lampard was signed for Chelsea by Claudio Ranieri in 2001 but he truly blossomed in Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge, winning two league titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup.

He admits it will be great to bump into his old gaffer again and knows the billing of ‘Master versus Apprentice’ gives an extra edge to their third-round clash.

“It will be great to see him again and have a chat,” he said. “Will we crack open a bottle of wine? That’s up to the host.

“I will leave the wine selection to him. My preferences are cheap and cheerful but I don’t think whatever he goes for will be cheap.”

Lampard believes he may be the first of a new generation of Mourinho-inspired managers who will come through. “Jose is very influential,” he said. “I am only a baby in managerial terms but I think Jose will spawn a lot of new managers.

“From the minute I first met him he had an influence. He came in with a confidence which rubbed off on me. I loved playing for him.

“I think it was intriguing, but part of his aura and his personality was when he sat us down, he relaxed us instantly.

“So the idea of him being this hard taskmaster, he could be when he had to be... but he also created a real family atmosphere at the time, which was brilliantly done. As magical as any of his tactical talks was the family he created amongst us.

“You see him at press conferences now and again and he might seem a bit prickly, but all managers are when they

are under a bit of pressure.