Jose's the man that stands out for England, says skipper Terry

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The Chelsea defender confirmed he had met with Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick to talk about the appointment of the new manager.

Terry refused to reveal what was discussed at the meeting but stressed the strength of Mourinho's claims.

He said: "Jose came in to Chelsea and took us to a new level. He is a fantastic manager and a fantastic guy. There are many managers being talked about at the moment but he is the one that stands out to me and could make the difference."

But Terry also warned that the Portuguese, linked with the big clubs in Spain may not yet be ready to leave club management behind.

"He loves the day-to-day involvement with club management," added Terry.

Meanwhile, Terry's Chelsea teammate Florent Malouda has admitted he is struggling to integrate into English life and is dreading the "terrible" Christmas period.

Despite his £50,000-a-week wage, the French midfielder says settling into his new London home has proved problematic.

"I have only just had a phone line put in," said Malouda. "Things are not as simple over here as they are in France. You can't just go to a shop and 'bingo', they come round the next day to install your equipment. I was still trying to have satellite TV and the internet installed in my house in November.

"When I first arrived I went to see the club official in charge of the players' accommodation to ask him to help me find a house to rent.

"He dialled the number of a lettings agency and handed me the receiver, and that was the job done for him." Malouda, who has been out injured since straining his knee ligaments a month ago, also criticised the absence of a winter break.

He said: "I have been warned about the Christmas periods in English football. They sound terrible."

He even had a few words to say about his colleagues' diets, adding: "The people at Chelsea don't control what the players eat."