Some eyebrows were raised when Mourinho decided to bring in Samuel Eto’o from Anzhi Makhachkala. Most thought that the Cameroonian went to Russia to make some extra money before retiring and never thought he would return to the big leagues. To be fair, he has already won two Champion League trophies with two different teams, a FIFA Club World Cup and many other domestic competitions. He was one of Barcelona’s best scorers with 108 goals in 145 appearances and managed a goal every other game on average for Inter in the two years spent in Italy.

Even with such a great record, Eto’o has obvious trouble readapting to a top Championship such as the Premier League. According to Metro, the Cameroonian was surprised by how physical the game could become when playing against English teams. Because of his 2 year Russian experience, the 32 year old is slightly off the pace and even though the talent is still there, he still has to push a lot harder to be able to face teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City or Liverpool on a regular basis.

Mourinho is a big supporter of Eto’o, who has always been one of his favorite players. The Portuguese manager urged Chelsea fans to be patient with the Cameroonian that according to him, still has a lot to offer and will help the Blues stay on top of their game.

Eto’o gave an interview for Chelsea magazine in which he seemed very determined to serve the team as best as possible. He declared that he is ready to play in any position regardless of the fact that he is a pure striker. He also mentioned the help received from both teammates and Mourinho who have been more than supportive.

Chelsea’s boss has already given Eto’o a couple of chances featuring him in three consecutive games as part of the starting line-up. He did not manage to score but he put in some good efforts that did not remain unnoticed. Luckily for the Cameroonian, the Blues have serious problems in front of goal because of Torres’s permanent lack of form and Demba Ba’s uneven performances, so Eto’o can expect more chances in the team.