Love him or hate him, Jose Mourinho has achieved some pretty incredible things.
A character of his brazen tendencies is never going to attract universal affection, yet consistent successes have made him a beloved figure at every club he has managed.
The Portuguese has established himself as one of the greatest managers football has seen – even with his best days at Manchester United surely still to come.
The last two seasons have been underwhelming when measured against the lofty standard Mourinho has set himself.
Between 2003 and 2012, the 54-year-old lifted at least one trophy during each of the subsequent calendar years.
All up, Mourinho has no less than 25 honours to his name including eight league titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Cup and the Europa League.
For those who suggest his odds of succeeding at the highest level have been enhanced by the quality of teams he has managed, Mourinho has offered an interesting counterclaim.
He believes the situations he inherited at Italy, Spain and England have required every ounce of his tactical nous to achieve success.
"I'm terrible at picking teams,” he told Portuguese newspaper Expresso, as per Goal.
"I always choose teams, as they say in England, in big trouble.
"Inter was in big trouble, Real Madrid was in big trouble, Manchester United in big trouble, that is, always in big trouble.”
£850M OF SIGNINGS
Despite spending no more than three seasons at any one club, Mourinho has met or exceeded expectations everywhere he has managed.
His means of doing so has been questioned throughout his career, with some accusing him of needing to outlay a fortune on signings in order to build a strong team.
When one considers he has plunged nearly £850 million into the transfer market across five clubs, this theory does carry at least some credibility.
But irrespective of how his managerial style might be perceived in a market that demands significant investment, Mourinho is undoubtedly synonymous with winning.
This summer is unlikely to be a quiet one as he seeks to return United to the summit of English and European football – arguably the toughest assignment of his career.