Jose Mourinho has explained why he felt it was important to bring Nemanja Matic to Manchester United this summer.

The Serbian midfielder has already settled well at the club since arriving from Mourinho's former club Chelsea, impressing in the friendly win over Sampdoria in Dublin and on his official debut in the UEFA Super Cup defeat by Real Madrid.

In his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League opener against West Ham at Old Trafford, the boss spoke at length about why Matic was his ideal signing for the Reds.

“When I joined Manchester United last year, I thought immediately that we needed a kind of Matic,” he said. “There are not many – there are just a couple – but I thought that.

“But I was not thinking of it because I always thought I never like to go to players that I think are an impossible mission, and I felt there was no chance.

“Then this season, when I got the call that Matic wants to play for me and for Manchester United, and he can make it happen, I thought he’s the perfect player for me. Not just for his qualities but also for my relationship with him, the way I know him, the way he knows me.”

Matic is someone Mourinho knows well from their two spells together at Stamford Bridge, with the pair helping Chelsea to win the Premier League title in 2014/15.

Expressing his delight in being reunited with the Serbia international, the boss admitted he admires Matic and the qualities he brings as an experienced player.   

He said: “I think he’s one of these players where there are no question marks in front. He doesn't need time to adapt, he’s not a young guy who came from another country, he’s not somebody that needs to learn the Premier League.

“He’s a player of, I think, now 29 last week - 29 years old, with five years or so in the Premier League, lots of experience. He's one of these players that gives me what I like in players, which is consistency.

“Matic plays normally here [gestures to a height with hand], and sometimes a little bit here [adjusts hand slightly] and sometimes a little bit there [lowers hand slightly] but Matic is Matic.

“And that’s something I really like in players - consistency. It’s the way I trust the player is going to perform, so I think it was a fantastic signing for us.”

Follow coverage of United’s first 2017/18 Premier League game, at home to West Ham on Sunday, in our live match blog and on Twitter via @ManUtd.

More: Watch Jose talking about Nemanja Matic and the new season in the video above.