Tottenham appoint Jose Mourinho as new manager less than 24 hours after sacking Mauricio Pochettino

TOTTENHAM have appointed Jose Mourinho as manager less than 24 hours after sacking Mauricio Pochettino.

The Portuguese boss had been locked in negotiations throughout the night after Daniel Levy ruthlessly swung the axe on Poch yesterday evening.

Mourinho had been without a job since he was sacked as Manchester United manager last December.

But he has sensationally agreed a return to the Premier League after penning a staggering £15million-a-year contract until the end of the 2022/23 season.

That's double the salary Pochettino was thought to be earning at the club.

The 56-year-old said: “I am excited to be joining a Club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters.

“The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me.

“Working with these players is what has attracted me.”

Spurs chairman Levy added: “In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football.

“He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician. He has won honours at every club he has coached.

“We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room.”

Mourinho is set to take training today and his first match in the dugout is a mouthwatering clash at fierce rivals West Ham on Saturday.

His side then takes on Olympiacos in the Champions League and Bournemouth before a stunning reunion at Old Trafford against Manchester United on December 4.

The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me.

Mourinho on joining Tottenham

It's been 11-years since Spurs last won a piece of silverware and Levy obviously believes Mourinho can do what Pochettino failed at and bring the glory days back to north London.

He arrives at the club with three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups all under his belt from his time at Chelsea.

Mourinho also lifted the EFL Cup and Europa League at Manchester United while winning the Champions League on two separate occasions with Porto and Inter Milan.

So it is no wonder Levy is such a long-term admirer having first made a move to appoint Mourinho back in 2007 immediately after he was sacked at Chelsea.

But a clause in the contract meant he wasn't allowed to manage another Prem team for at least two years paving way for him to join Inter where he won the treble.

Then in 2015 Mourinho was quizzed about being approached when he declared he could never manage a London rival.

He said: "Yes. I couldn't go. I couldn't train in England for two years.

"I would not take the job because I love Chelsea supporters too much."

Sun Sport revealed last month that Mourinho is keen to set history by becoming the first manager to lead three different clubs to the league title or major European trophies.

But first he will be tasked with turning around Tottenham's form that has seen them pick up just three wins from 14 league matches.

It was enough for Levy to swing the axe just months after he guided the club to their first ever Champions League final.

Club captain Harry Kane paid tribute to the former boss by writing on Twitter: "Gaffer. I’ll be forever thankful to you for helping me achieve my dreams.

"We’ve had some amazing moments in the last 5 and a half years that I will never forget.

"You were my manager but my friend as well and I thank you for that relationship. Good luck with your next chapter!"

SunSport can reveal:

•  Many Spurs players lost respect for the Argentine for refusing to discuss team selection with them and his increasing absence from training.
•  The board believe Poch, 47, engineered his own sacking.
•   Levy hopes Poch’s exit will persuade contract rebels to stay.

But it's not all bad for Pochettino after landing a whopping £12.5m payoff.

The former Southampton manager only penned a lengthy five-year extension last summer after a third place finish in the Premier League.

Pochettino bizarrely used to keep a bowl of lemons in his Tottenham office because he believed they absorbed negative energy.

No doubt they'll be sitting at the bottom of the bin when Mourinho steps into his new office today.