Jose Mourinho‘s assistant manager Rui Faria will bid adieu to Manchester United FC at the end of the season.

Mourinho has worked alongside Faria for over 17 years and the United manager is confident that Faria is ready to manage a club himself.

“17 years and the kid is now a man,” Mourinho said, speaking to United’s official website. “17 years in Leiria, Porto, London, Milan, Madrid, London again and Manchester.

“Training, playing, travelling, studying, laughing and also a few tears of happiness. The intelligent student is now a football expert, ready for a successful career as a manager.”

The Faria-Mourinho team has been at Old Trafford since 2016. Faria was also on Mourinho’s coaching staff during his two spells at Chelsea. He stuck by ‘The Chosen One’ at Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid too.

The Portuguese has been linked to succeed Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager, among many other options.

Faria said in a statement: “After a lot of consideration, and with a very heavy heart, I have decided the time is right for me to move on.

“I have had 17 years of incredible and unforgettable experiences.

“However, I have felt for some time that I would like to spend much more quality time with my family before pursuing any new challenge in my professional life.

“My heartfelt thanks go to the manager, Jose Mourinho, for the belief he had in me, all those years ago, when it all was just a student dream.

“I would like to thank him for the opportunity and confidence, for the knowledge and experience, but most importantly for his friendship.

“I would also like to thank Manchester United and all the clubs where I have had the privilege of working during this period.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff and players who, in different ways, have made an important contribution to my growth as a person and as a professional.

“I wish you all the best for the future, knowing that you will always be my close friends.”

Manchester United face Chelsea in the FA Cup final next Saturday and will be using this opportunity to give Faria a perfect send-off.