It was Mourinho who brought the Portuguese right-back to Premier League giants Manchester United in 2018, signing him from FC Porto for around £20m.
During his time at Old Trafford, Mourinho went on to name his countryman as the best young full-back in Europe, making the player feel elated.
Recalling the words of the former Manchester United boss, Dalot has described how much the praise meant to him, especially as he considers Mourinho one of the top managers in the world.
The 21-year-old, who is currently on loan at Serie A outfit AC Milan, also explained how the recognition from Mourinho made him feel more responsible.
“It was one of the sentences that I keep with me until this day”, Dalot told the Associated Press.
“Coming from him was even more special because we all know that is a fantastic coach, one of the best ever, and it gave me a little bit more responsibility.”
Dalot also expressed his delight at his parent club Manchester United performing well this season, but insisted that he is entirely focused on AC Milan.
“I am completely focused on what is going on here”, Dalot said.
“When I go home and I can rest, I can see Manchester games, Porto games and be happy with them, because they are winning and they are doing fantastic.”
Currently on loan in Italy, Dalot will be hopeful of forcing his way into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans when he returns to Manchester United at the end of the season.
