Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho confirms £18m offer to join Tottenham Hotspur in 2007

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed Tottenham Hotspur attempted to recruit him as manager following his departure from Stamford Bridge in 2007.

The Portuguese manager was removed by owner Roman Abramovich in September of the 2007-08 season and was heavily linked with a move to north London rivals Spurs as then-manager Martin Jol came under pressure.

Jol was eventually sacked in October and reports five years after the incident suggested Spurs offered him the role five times in one day in order to tempt the double Champions League winner to White Hart Lane.

Daniel Levy's attempts to bring Mourinho to the club failed as he was blocked from taking over another Premier League club for another two years, forcing him to move to Serie A side Inter Milan in 2008.

Tottenham even attempted to pay Chelsea an £18m ($28m) compensation package in order to break the agreement and make him their new manager but they failed and Juande Ramos was later appointed from Sevilla.

Ahead of the League Cup final against Tottenham, Mourinho has confirmed Spurs made the approach eight years ago but that his commitment to Chelsea meant he would never take the job.

"I do not want to go away," he said ahead of the Wembley final. "If one day Mr Abramovich says 'that is enough' I will go to my house in London and wait for another English club. I am not thinking about leaving I want to stay at Chelsea for the rest of my career.

"I couldn't go. I couldn't train in England in two years. No [I wouldn't have taken it] because I love Chelsea supporters too much.

"When I left the first time I had lots of countries to go; in this moment when I leave I have the other 19 clubs in the Premier League and 24 clubs in the Championship. The options are not so much. My future is in Mr Abramovich's hands. I am Chelsea."