( CNN ) -- Jose Mourinho , the self-anointed 'Special One ' , has been hailed as the man who convinced Mauricio Pochettino to make the move to the Premier League and take the reins at Southampton . Real Madrid manager Mourinho , who enjoyed a hugely successful time with Chelsea , gave Pochettino a few words of wisdom on life in the Premier League . The Argentine , who was appointed Friday following the removal of Nigel Adkins , has previously managed Espanyol in Spain and will take charge of his first game against Everton on Monday . ' I hate my social life , ' says Mourinho . `` I am very passionate about the Premier League , '' the 40-year-old told reporters . `` I have seen many games , the Premier League is an attractive league and I have spoken to people at length about it , people such as Jose Mourinho , who is a good friend of mine . `` He told me the best football in the world is being played here . How the league is structured there 's a lot of respect towards the other clubs and that has only convinced me to come here , aside from the project that Southampton have offered me , the chance to work in this league I am very happy about . '' The move comes as something as a surprise given Southampton 's recent good form , which included a fine comeback to draw 2-2 at Chelsea in its last match . Adkins , 47 , arrived at the club when it was second bottom in the third tier before winning successive promotions to reach the Premier League . The club is currently 15th with a three-point lead over the teams in the relegation zone . Flying high : Mourinho mentors Cape Verde 's 'Special One ' Executive chairman Nicola Cortese has been criticized by supporters for the ousting of Adkins with fans taking to Twitter to register their disgust . But journalist Gordon Simpson , who covers the club for the Southampton Echo newspaper , says Cortese 's decision will ultimately be judged on results . `` The decision to sack Nigel Adkins has obviously come as a shock to many Saints fans , '' Simpson told CNN . `` It is not a complete surprise , however . It has been rumoured for some time that the chairman , Nicola Cortese , has been considering a change and there has been a sense for a while at St Mary 's that Adkins has been living on borrowed time . `` Adkins is an enormously popular figure with the supporters here , and as you can imagine the news has been largely met with a degree of hostility and sadness . `` The timing is certainly strange , with the club having enjoyed a fine series of results and performances in recent months -- two defeats in 12 Premier League games tells its own story . `` Obviously , Cortese 's decision will ultimately be judged on results . If the club continues to move forward under new manager Mauricio Pochettino 's guidance then he will feel vindicated and supporters will quickly come to accept the change . `` But Saints ' season is delicately balanced right now , and if results start to regress then the anger and frustration emanating from much of the fan base will only heighten . '' Bielsa . Pochettino , who represented Espanyol and Paris Saint-Germain as a player , won 20 caps for Argentina at international level . Known for his readiness to use young players , he learnt his trade as a 16-year-old under the watchful eye of current Athletic Bilbao coach Marcelo Bielsa during their time together at Newell 's Old Boys in his native Argentina . While at Espanyol , he took a club struggling at the wrong end of La Liga before establishing them as a competitive mid-table team by using the products of an impressive youth system . Southampton has a good history of blooding young players with Gareth Bale , Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain just a few to have progressed through the ranks in recent years . Youth . According to David Cartlidge , Spanish football correspondent for Mirror Football , Pochettino 's work with the youth players at Espanyol produced excellent results . `` Mauricio Pochettino 's work with the youngsters at Espanyol was perhaps his most accomplished work while in Spain , '' Cartlidge told CNN . `` He understood very well the financial rigours placed upon his club , and reacted by developing a close relationship between them and first team . `` During his four year spell , 23 players were promoted from the youth set-up , the youngest being Paul Quaye , at just 16 years old . `` Not only did he develop players for Espanyol 's own gains on the field , but off it too , as several were sold on for considerable profit . `` He would spend hours at Espanyol Sports Complex , going through videos and recording warm-ups to get insight on players . `` But he would also spend time with the young players , working with them just as he did with the first team , making them feel part of things . '' Walcott . Meanwhile , former Southampton star Walcott has signed a new long-term deal with Arsenal . The England international had been linked with a move away from the club , but has put pen to paper following lengthy negotiations . The 23-year-old told the club 's official website : `` I have made it clear from the start that I wanted to stay at Arsenal so I am pleased we have agreed a deal that everyone is happy with . What 's important now is for the team to realise its potential and win trophies . ''
Mauricio Pochettino has been named as the new manager of Pochettino . Argentine replaces Alex Ferguson and will take charge of Monday 's game against Everton . Pochettino revealed he spoke to Jose Mourinho about taking Premier League job . Jose Mourinho and Premier League shock at Nigel Adkins ' sacking .