"My dear enemy, he has made me a better manager because to stop
him has been very difficult," Mourinho said, adding that he tried to
sign him three times.
"I am very sad this is the last time I will face him."
Gerrard almost signed for Chelsea during Mourinho's
first spell in charge of the Blues in 2005, and the Portuguese revealed
he also wanted him at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
He said of the
LA Galaxy-bound player
: "It's too late to sign him. He can't play against Liverpool. He's
done an amazing career with his people. He refused to play in other big
clubs, other big leagues, to play only for Liverpool and this is a
feeling that stays together.
"Who knows if I'll play against Steven as a Liverpool manager some day?"
Gerrard was in the team that defeated Chelsea in the
2005 Champions League semi-final,
and then went on to lift the trophy.
However, his connection with the club will also be remembered for the mistake which led to Demba Ba's goal in the
2-0 win for the Blues at Anfield last season.
The defeat cost Liverpool the advantage in the race for the Premier League title, eventually won by Manchester City.
