´I´m not the Special One, I´m Marco Silva´ – New Hull boss rejects Mourinho comparisons

New Hull City manager Marco Silva has rejected comparisons to Manchester United boss J
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ose Mourinho.

Silva was appointed as the replacement for Mike Phelan on Thursday and takes over a Hull side that sits bottom of the Premier League, three points adrift of safety.

The 39-year-old has enjoyed much success in his managerial career so far, leading Estoril to promotion to Portugal’s Primeira Liga and two subsequent top-five finishes, before winning the Taca de Portugal with Sporting CP.

He guided Olympiacos to the Greek Superleague title last season before stepping down, citing personal reasons, and his early achievements have led many to liken him to Mourinho, whose Champions League triumph with Porto came when he was just 41.

But Silva, speaking at a pre-match media conference ahead of Hull’s FA Cup tie with Swansea City, said: “I’m not The Special One. I’m Marco Silva.

“I have one goal at this moment in time – to see this club remain in the Premier League.

“This is a different challenge for me. The Premier League is the best league in the world, so it’s a big challenge.

“I will try to do my job to the best of my ability. I will give my all to this club to improve our situation. I believe.”

Silva, who acted swiftly in clearing out the backroom staff in place under Phelan and bringing in his own team, added: “It’s not easy to change everything and to pass all my ideas on to the players with two days.

“But I am happy with my work so far. We’ll try and improve some things for Saturday’s game. My only focus now is on Saturday.”