Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho expressed his surprise at winning the Barclays manger of the year award after failing to capture a monthly prize all season.

Mourinho was last night unveiled as the Premier League's top coach after guiding the Blues to back-to-back titles.

"It is a big honour. It's the consequence of Chelsea being champions for the second consecutive year but it is a surprise for me because during the season I couldn't win one single manager of the month," he said.

"We had a start where we won nine consecutive victories but I could not win in August or September. We had a lot of consecutive wins also in December and January but I could not get the trophy. So I was surprised by getting it at the end of the season."

Mourinho paid tribute to his squad for the club's success.

"It is an individual award but it is collective. It is about the manager and the team achieving the target. I did it with Chelsea," he told Chelsea TV. "At the same time I don't forget the other people who also had very positive work and one of them could have been the winner.

"Mark Hughes did it with Blackburn by reaching the UEFA Cup. (Alan) Pardew and (Paul) Jewell did it at West Ham and Wigan by having a very stable season.

"Of course Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal wanted to be champions and they weren't. Tottenham wanted to go to Champions League and is not going. Birmingham, West Bromwich and Sunderland wanted to stay in division but they were relegated so some did it and some didn't.

"It is an honour for me and it is an honour for Chelsea because it is about the club and the players."