Cole: I wasn't at my best when Mourinho signed me but now we'll hit the big time

                         

Ashley Cole has promised to repay Jose Mourinho for failing to deliver his best football for the manager in the first season after his controversial move from Arsenal.

It was Mourinho who forced through the complicated deal which lured Cole across London in 2006, with William Gallas and £5million heading in the other direction.

It sparked a Premier League probe and Chelsea were ordered to pay £375,000 for an illegal approach. Mourinho and Cole were also reprimanded but the defender has gone on to enjoy a long and brilliant career at Stamford Bridge.

He finished his first season having won the FA Cup and League Cup and has added the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League since Mourinho departed in September 2007.

'I still feel I owe him something,' said Cole. 'I didn't play as well as I could back then, and as well as I have for Chelsea since. I owe him a lot, personally.

'I jumped at the chance to play for him. He's a great manager. He proved how good he is with the number of trophies he's won with different teams. He's great at motivating players and keeping you on your toes, doing what you should be doing.

'I wouldn't say I've had an unfulfilled Chelsea career. I've been lucky enough to win a few trophies and I hope to win more. Having the manager back, we can do it all together. I think we can win back the Premier League. As players we owe it to the manager to win the league or the Champions League again.'

Chelsea finished last season in third and Mourinho has added three low-key signings - Andre Schurrle, Marco van Ginkel and Mark Schwarzer - to the squad but the vibe inside the camp is far more positive than it has been for years.

It comes from the return of the manager and, if they are successful in signing Wayne Rooney from Manchester United, they feeling is that they will be well equipped to challenge for the title.

'It's a pleasure to play under him,' said Cole, a coded message for his friend Rooney, perhaps. 'For me, if he wanted me to come to Chelsea, there would be one thought in my mind to come here to be under a great manager is an honour.

'I wouldn't say he's any different. He's always had one aim, one objective, and that's to win. It doesn't matter what you've achieved, or what you've done in football. You've got to train well and give 100 per cent for him.

'The one thing is he will always give players a chance if they're training and playing well. The boys are confident and happy he's back.

'You can see there's a new lease of life in some of the players, and that’s good for us. Hopefully we can have a good season with Chelsea. As a team, I hope we can go on and win many trophies.'

This is ultimately, how Mourinho’s second coming will be judged. 'It's a big club and we need to win trophies,' Cole added. 'I've won things from day one when I first started playing football. I've always wanted to win. That feeling's never gone away. '

Cole, who rejected the chance to team up again with Mourinho at Real Madrid, signed a new contract in January which will keep him at Chelsea until the end of the next season.

At 32, he has ankle problems which have slowed his recovery over the years but has maintained an incredible level of consistency throughout a career which has taken him beyond a century of England caps.

Perhaps Mourinho can even coax more year out of the best left-back of his generation.

'That's not down to me,' said Cole. 'I've got to keep training hard, playing well and keep my place in the team. We'll see what goes from there. I love Chelsea. I've been here seven years now and I'd love to stay here as long as I can.

'We're trying to benefit by getting fit ourselves, working together as a team because we have new players. It's more about us trying to come together as a group than the opponents.'