Luke Shaw and Jose Mourinho's dislike of each other has been well documented with the war of words between the pair going on for some time.
But the former Manchester United boss couldn't help but be impressed by the left-back's display in England's 4-0 win over Ukraine in the Euro 2020 quarter-final on Sunday night.
Shaw set up two goals in the thrashing and turned in a superb display as the Three Lions marched on to the semi-finals where Mourinho expects a tricky test against Denmark.
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"Luke Shaw is playing better and better and better," Mourinho told talkSPORT.
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"I think the back four with the amazing Euros that both central midfielders are doing is more than enough to control Denmark offensively. And then you have four players to decide the creativity of the game.
"Do England need to play with the back three like against Germany? My answer is no. Germany is a different way to play three at the back. This match doesn't need England to adapt and match Denmark.
"Denmark are solid. They also found a way to play different than the way they started.
"They're now playing with three at the back, a solid team, good players playing in the best leagues with lots of experience.
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"It's going to be a difficult match for England despite England playing well and being at home."
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The game with Ukraine took place at the Stadio Olimpico - home of Serie A side Roma where Mourinho is manager.
And, after the win, Shaw couldn't hide a smile after being told he had dropped a masterclass in 'Jose Mourinho's backyard'.
"Jose has his opinion," said Shaw. "He's obviously working for talkSPORT and it's freedom of speech, he can say what he likes."
Mourinho managed Shaw at Manchester United for two-and-a-bit seasons from 2016 and subjected him to a series of verbal attacks.
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Earlier in the week, Shaw had launched a scathing attack on Mourinho, accusing him of being obsessed with criticising him.
The former Southampton man had been called out by Mourinho for his "dramatically bad" corner taking in England's group win over the Czech Republic.
Mourinho's latest barb was relatively tame, but it triggered a response from Shaw, who said: "There's no hiding that we didn't get on.
"I think he was a brilliant manager but, you know, the past is the past. It's time to move on. I'm trying to move on but, obviously, he can't.
"He continuously talks about me, which I find quite strange. Clearly I'm in his head a lot.
"What he says now is nothing compared to how it used to be. It's better just to ignore it and move on with my life.
"I don't feel like the set-pieces were as bad as he was saying. I'm used to him saying negative stuff about me now, so I just pass it by."
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Jose Mourinho, Football, Manchester United, Euro 2020, England, Luke Shaw
