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RETURNING ONE: Mourinho and Essien at a pre-season press conference (PA)

CHELSEA MIDFIELD dynamo Michael Essien has said he was one of the first to hear directly of Jose Mourinho’s return to the west London club.

In usual Mourinho style, the way he delivered the news to the Ghanaian player was unconventional and left him somewhat surprised.

The ex-Inter manager whispered the closely guarded information into Essien’s ear as he went to celebrate with his manager after scoring his first goal for Real Madrid during the final game of last season.

Essien played for the Spanish giants after being sent on a season-long loan from the Blues, the last year of Mourinho’s turbulent three-year reign at the Bernabeu.

“When I scored my last goal for Real Madrid on the last day of the season, I ran over to celebrate with him [Mourinho] and was expecting him to congratulate me when I hugged him”, Essien writes in his Chelsea blog.

“Instead he leaned over and said: ‘See you at pre-season training on July 8.’

“I found that so funny. I was expecting a pat on the back and thinking about my summer holidays and he surprised me with pre-season – that’s José for you.”

Chelsea fans have since welcomed back the self-anointed “Special One” with open arms – the Portuguese chief signed a four-year contract with Roman Abramovich’s side.

He was first appointed Chelsea boss in 2004 and won two Premier League titles in consecutive years, before the club and he parted ways by mutual consent in 2007.