Damien Duff has hailed Jose Mourinho as the best coach he worked with over the course of his career, insisting that he is the sort of manager "you'd run through a brick wall for".

The Dubliner, who is now playing in the Australian A-League with Melbourne City, worked with a number of big name managers over the course of his career and insists that he appreciates how lucky he has been.

“I was very fortunate to work with all of them - Dalglish, Hodgson, Mourinho - you could also say that Trapattoni has one of the best CVs in the game, both as a manager and a player, if not the best. So, all in all, I always embraced it, worked my socks off and made the best out of things. I am a lucky man.”

However the Portuguese, he says in an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, is “a genius,” who did more than anyone to improve him as a player.

“It was an amazing time,” he says of the two seasons he played under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, a period that yielded two Premier League titles and a League Cup. “He’s this big personality to everyone looking in, but he’s an amazing guy to work with. You’d run through a brick wall for him. From the football point of view on the pitch, getting coached every day, he’s top notch.

“He might not have been a top player, but he’s certainly an amazing, amazing coach, and I have learned a lot from him. He’s a genius when it comes to motivation as well. For me, he ticks every box.”

With Mourinho, now back at Chelsea, playing games with the press ahead of the weekend's visit to Villa Park, Duff readily acknowledged that the 52 year-old is not everyone's favourite. "Outsiders looking in probably love to hate him, but he laughs off that, he loves it."

Duff’s club visit Melbourne Victory for the city’s derby game this weekend as the league gets back into full-swing following a break for the Asian Cup. City are currently in sixth place, 14 points behind leaders Perth glory and 10 behind their neighbours who they beat thanks to a late winner earlier in the season.