Emmanuel Adebayor recounts how Mourinho 'killed' Ronaldo's confidence at Real Madrid

- The 35-year-old claimed Jose Mourinho tried 'killing' Ronaldo's confidence at the club

Former Real Madrid striker Emmanuel Adebayor has recounted his experience with Jose Mourinho during his reign at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Togolese forward spent the second half of the 2011-12 season on loan with Los Blancos - scoring five goals in 14 matches and also won Copa Del Rey title during his short stay.

He has however opened up on how Mourinho treated his players despite giving their best on and off the pitch.

Adebayor revealed how the 'Special One' tried 'killing' Cristiano Ronaldo's confidence despite scoring a hat-trick at half time.

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He told Daily Mail: "At Real, we were winning 3-0 at half-time. He [Mourinho] came into the dressing room and went mental. He kicked the fridge, kicked the television, threw water.

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"He killed everyone. I remember he once killed Ronaldo after he scored a hat-trick.

He said: "Everyone says you are the best in the world and you are playing badly. Show me you are the best." "Cristiano took it. Ronaldo could score a hat-trick but talk about the one he missed."

The 35-year-old also commended the Juventus superstar for his brilliance as a footballer having achieved so much in his career.

"He trained with us at Real Madrid as though he was training with his kids," he explained.

"Passes with his back, control with his neck. He once kept the ball for five seconds with one touch! How is that even possible?

"In the gym, wow. Sergio Ramos and I were the strongest. But then came Ronaldo. 'You think that's hard?' he'd say. We'd do five reps and he'd do 30."

Mourinho parted ways with Manchester United last December following his side's struggles in all competitions.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Jose Mourinho has been linked with a return to Real Madrid but Sergio Ramos has played down the rumours and has told fans to keep faith with Zinedine Zidane.

The Frenchman is under immense pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu after a shaky start to the new season since his second spell with Los Blancos.

Madrid moved up to second spot in La Liga after beating league leaders Sevilla at the weekend but received a 3-0 thrashing from Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in mid-week.