Jose Mourinho breaks silence on Everton interest and return to Premier League

Roma manager Jose Mourinho has broken his silence after being linked with a surprise Premier League return.

The Portuguese coach only moved to Italy at the start of this season, but questions have been asked regarding his future in the capital amid a difficult run of games.

He has even been mentioned in connection with the vacant Everton job as the Merseyside club look to appoint a replacement for Rafa Benitez following the Spaniard's dismissal in the light of a weekend defeat at Norwich.

However, based on Mourinho's words this week, it appears as though the Toffees won't be hiring a third former Real Madrid manager in a row after the departures of Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti over the last few months.

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"Right now I wouldn't change my job here at Roma with another one," Mourinho said after his team beat Lecce in the Coppa Italia on Thursday night.

"I gave my world to Roma for three years and I feel this is my project"

"In terms of emotion, passion, empathy, of being happy working with Roma, I say I am 11 out of 10," he stressed.

"I am truly, very, very happy to be at a club where I feel the people trust me. I couldn't be happier than this."

Mourinho only took over at Roma at the start of the season, having been dismissed by Tottenham Hotspur in April.

His team sat in the top four until early November, but have since fallen away and currently lie seventh in Serie A.

Roma have also reached the last 16 of the Europa Conference League after winning their group, while the midweek victory over Lecce - secured thanks to goals from Marash Kumbulla, Tammy Abraham and Eldor Shomurodov - has set up a Coppa Italia quarter-final against his former club Inter Milan.

It was Benitez who replaced Mourinho at Inter back in 2010 after the Portuguese left for Real Madrid, but the reverse looks unlikely to happen at Goodison Park.

Former Liverpool boss Benitez was not a popular appointment with all Everton fans, and his sacking came off the back of a run of just one win in 13 league games.

"The road to success isn't easy and sadly, nowadays in football there is a search for immediate results and there is always less and less patience," Benitez said after his dismissal by Everton.

"Unfortunately circumstances have determined the result and it won't be possible to continue this project.

Duncan Ferguson has been appointed as caretaker manager by the Toffees after serving as assistant under a number of previous bosses at the club, and will take charge of their weekend game against Aston Villa.