Jose Mourinho has spoken of the ‘special honour’ to manage Manchester United after being confirmed as their new manager on a four-year contract with the option to cut ties after three years.

United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward hailed the former Chelsea boss as ‘the best manager in the game today’ after the club broke the news on football’s worst-kept secret on Friday morning.

Mourinho will earn £15million per year and work has already started on a summer recruitment drive with £200m available to create a squad capable of a Premier League title challenge.

Jose Mourinho poses with a Manchester United shirt after being confirmed as the club’s new manager

The new Manchester United manager posted this image of his contract with the club on Instagram

Mourinho signs a United shirt outside the window of his car after the news was announced on Friday

Mourinho has signed a four-year contract with the option to cut ties after three years at Old Trafford included

The new United manager was all smiles as he emerged from his house wearing an adidas shirt on Friday

Television cameras have been outside Mourinho’s London home all week, awaiting news of his future

Mourinho could be seen holding a United shirt branded with ‘Mourinho – 1’ on the back in a Vine clip

The arrival of the former Chelsea boss was welcomed by this image posted by United on Friday

‘To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game,’ Mourinho said. ‘It is a club known and admired throughout the world. There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match.

‘I have always felt an affinity with Old Trafford; it has hosted some important memories for me in my career and I have always enjoyed a rapport with the United fans. I’m looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years.’

FA Cup winners United sacked Louis van Gaal following their Wembley win against Crystal Palace and immediately set about finalising Mourinho’s arrival.

Sportsmail revealed on Monday that the Old Trafford club had already paid The Special One £4m not to take a job elsewhere while they decided on the future of his predecessor.

The finer details of his contract were ironed out with United chief Woodward this week before the announcement of Mourinho’s arrival was made at 9.30am on Friday morning.

Mourinho will start work immediately as he looks to secure the transfer targets he has identified

Mourinho was pictured on Thursday wearing the same suit that featured in his unveiling photograph

Mourinho is said to have been impressed at the work United have already done on players he would like to sign

The former Chelsea manager will be back on the touchline at Old Trafford, but now as the home side’s boss

‘Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today,’ Woodward said. ‘He has won trophies and inspired players in countries across Europe and, of course, he knows the Premier League very well, having won three titles here.

‘I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome him to Manchester United. His track record of success is ideal to take the club forward.’

Although no official confirmation has been offered on his backroom staff, Mourinho will bring long-term lieutenants Rui Faria and Silvino Louro with him to United.

Ryan Giggs is still yet to decide on his future with the current assistant being offered a more junior role under the new boss.

Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December after a disastrous start to their Premier League title defence that saw the Blues languishing in 16th place.

The success of the season previous brought the Portuguese coach a third crown from the English top division and his immediate aim will be to secure a fourth at United when the new season begins in August.

He will be backed by a £200m transfer budget with a summer spending spree on the cards and initial targets already identified.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in line for a reunion with the manager he worked under at Inter Milan while Mourinho also has eyes on Everton’s John Stones and Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has heightened talk he is set to sign for Man United on a free transfer after leaving PSG

United will battle Manchester City and Chelsea to sign John Stones, with Mourinho a big fan of the defender

Mourinho could return to raid his old club for midfielder Nemanja Matic as part of his spending spree

The 53-year-old could also return to former club Chelsea to recruit midfielder Nemanja Matic.

Mourinho is set to comment further on his new job in an interview with United’s in-house television channel at midday on Friday.

His first game in charge will be an International Champions Cup friendly in Shanghai against Borussia Dortmund on July 22 before a meeting with old rival Pep Guardiola, now in charge of local rivals Manchester City, three days later in Beijing on July 25.

Mourinho will take his seat in the Old Trafford dugout before that though, when he coaches the England team made up of former players and celebrities during the Soccer Aid charity match on June 5.

Former United defender Phil Neville was one of the first to react to the confirmation on Friday morning, tweeting: ‘Great start to the day’.

Bizarrely, Jaguar — one of Mourinho’s sponsors — made the announcement on Thursday evening before the club.

United would like to have unveiled the Machiavellian manager earlier this week but minor legal issues held up the announcement.

Mourinho celebrated winning his third Premier League title in 2015 but he was sacked in December

Mourinho lifted his first Premier League title with Chelsea in 2005 before adding two more in 2006 and 2015

Mourinho will be sitting in the home dugout at Old Trafford rather than the one he occupied with Chelsea

 His first game in charge of United will be against Borussia Dortmund in the International Champions Cup

Credit: Daily Mail