Jose Mourinho still has that twinkle in his eye. Even now, 25 years into a glittering managerial career laden with silverware, he’s still hungry for more, writes Scott McDermott in Istanbul.

The legendary Portuguese coach will probably never lose it. And that’s bad news for Rangers ahead of Thursday's Europa League last-16 tie against Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Mourinho was in top form at his press conference in the bowels of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

That charisma, personality - whatever you want to call it - that he's renowned for oozed out of him. And you got the feeling he enjoyed having a British press pack there firing questions at him like he used to get at Chelsea, Spurs or Manchester United. The devilish smile was back on his face as he had everyone in the room in the palm of his hand.

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Whether it was bigging up Barry Ferguson, having a pop at Philippe Clement, suggesting he might manage at the Old Firm one day - or talking about Largs pubs - Mourinho was in his element. And that’s the thing about him. As much as there’s an arrogance about him, there’s also a humility.

His respect for Ferguson was evident, as was his love of all things Scottish. But of course, Mourinho’s coaching journey really started when he left one half of Glasgow devastated. In Seville 22 years ago, his Porto side defeated Celtic in the UEFA Cup Final to give him his first major trophy as a boss.

Mourinho knew how heartbroken Hoops fans were. What he didn’t realise until years later was that he’d also become a hero on the other side of the city. He said: “In Turkey, I haven’t met any Scottish people yet. But it’s true that especially in London (at Chelsea and Spurs) and in the south of Portugal in the summer time - some Rangers fans would come up to me and thank me for that. But that was a big final for me, my first European final. And I have the utmost respect for both of those big clubs, Rangers and Celtic, and their supporters.

“In your capital, Glasgow, they are two massive clubs who have incredible history, also in Europe. I have lots of respect for that. Part of my formation as a coach was in Scotland and I have many friends from both colours - the blue and the green.

“On Thursday night I know it’s going to be difficult against Rangers. But I’m really happy to play against a Scottish team. And I’m looking forward to going next week to play at Ibrox.”

Mourinho hasn’t ruled out one day managing either Old Firm club. And with Rangers on the verge of a US takeover, who’s to say someone of his ilk won’t end up at Ibrox? That would be an incredible story for a guy who famously earned his coaching badges in Scotland.

Mourinho turned up in Largs three decades ago as a low level player with lofty coaching ambitions. And even now, he says his time here was hugely important in helping him to achieve remarkable feats in the game.

He’s one of only six managers to win the Champions League twice with two different clubs - Porto and Inter Milan. But his journey started on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire.

He said: “For the Largs pubs, it was a disaster! Because I only drank sparkling water with lemon. But for me it was fantastic from a learning point of view, but also a human point of view.

“I met the biggest guys in Scottish football at that time and they were very open. It wasn’t a case of them just giving me the badges. It was a learning process for a few weeks over different periods.

“Honestly, it was amazing for me. At that time, I was still playing but I learned a lot about methodology in coaching, which was very important. It opened different doors for me to walk into and develop myself.

“So it was very good and after that, many times friends or younger coaches ask me where they should go to take their first step - and I tell the guys to go there. It was a great experience for me and I met really important people. I found the opportunity to work and their contribution to me was great.”

Unfortunately, Mourinho’s payback has so far included that UEFA Cup Final defeat for Celtic - and now he’s got Rangers in his sights. He wants to knock them out of the Europa League last-16 and get his hands on another trophy.

Fenerbahce are 18 unbeaten in all competitions and they’ll be favourites in Istanbul against Barry Ferguson’s beleaguered side. Mourinho said: “The reason we have gone 18 matches unbeatable is because we’ve faced difficult moments with courage, humility and a good spirit.

“When I arrived at Fenerbahce I promised the fans that I was going to fight for them. I thought that fight would be a normal one, working hard every day to try and win as many matches as possible. But I realised after a few months, it means more than that."