'I laughed' - Abraham reveals brilliant Mourinho chat that led to Roma move

The former Chelsea striker has lifted the lid on how Jose Mourinho convinced him to leave his boyhood club for AS Roma.

Tammy Abraham has revealed the first thing Jose Mourinho said to him about joining Roma was a joke about escaping the English weather for sunny Italy.

After failing out of favor under Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel, Abraham opted for a fresh start away from the Premier League by completing a €40 million move to Roma in the summer.

The 24-year-old has since enjoyed a solid start under former Blues boss Mourinho in Italy, leading to an England recall for the current international break.

“The first thing he said to me was, ‘Do you want to enjoy some sun or stay in the rain?’” Abraham told The Times about Mourinho’s influence in his decision to join Roma.

“I laughed. At first, I did not think much of it. I wanted to be in the Premier League and I wanted to stay here. It was home. I had to open my wings a bit and make a choice and I chose Italy and would not change it.”

The striker added: “I could see where he [Mourinho] wanted Roma to go and I wanted to be part of the process.

“He is a good man and has helped me a lot so far. I have learned so much tactically — as much as I have in my entire lifetime. Jose said the fans would be looking at me to bring some life into the team.

“I knew from the get-go there were going to be a lot of eyes on me. I had to give good first impressions, and that’s what I’ve done.”