Former Manchester United manager José Mourinho has revealed that he had signed an agreement to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford in 2013 before changing his mind and returning to Chelsea.

Mourinho made the revelation in his new Netflix documentary, disclosing that the agreement was reached after he left Real Madrid. He said Manchester United's stature had strongly appealed to him, but he ultimately chose Chelsea because of his emotional connection with the club.

Ferguson, who retired at the end of the 2012/13 season, also featured in the documentary and confirmed that Mourinho had initially agreed to take over from him.

According to Ferguson, Mourinho later called him and explained that he had given his word to Chelsea and could not break that commitment. The decision left Ferguson disappointed, although he said he understood Mourinho's reasons.

Manchester United subsequently appointed David Moyes as Ferguson's successor, while Mourinho returned to Chelsea for a second spell in 2013.

Mourinho eventually became United manager in 2016, succeeding Louis van Gaal. During his two-and-a-half-year spell at Old Trafford, he won the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield.

The Portuguese coach said he did not regret turning down United in 2013, describing the decision as one he made “with his heart”.