Jose Mourinho and Manchester United were only in Utah for just a brief stop during their pre-season tour of America.

But the Special One and his team made a big and lasting impression on Real Salt Lake's promising young English coach Mark Briggs who is making a name for himself Stateside.

While Mourinho is now established as “one of the best in the business” Briggs' coaching career is in the early stages.

And the chance to see Mourinho and United close up during Tuesday's friendly was a priceless learning experience for Briggs, Real Salt Lake's No.2 and boss of their sister club Real Monarchs.

Mourinho had also done some homework on Briggs and then highlighted how well Real Salt Lake were coached after they gave United a serious pre-season test in the 2-1 win for the Premier League giants.

Briggs is the No.2 at Real Salt Lake (
Image:
MLS Soccer)

And the 35 year-old, from Wolverhampton, said: “To have someone like Jose talk about the way the team is coached is great.

“He is one of the best in the business so for him to say that is good for everyone involved.

“We spoke briefly before the game and he said he had seen an interview I did before the game, wished me good luck and told me to keep working hard and stay focused.

“He was great and took time out, spoke to me, not for a long time but he spoke to me and was engaged. For me to have a conversation with him was great.

Briggs says he will take a lot from his conversation with Mourinho (
Image:
MLS Soccer)

“Him doing that and taking time to shake my hand, how open and respectful he was just shows the calibre of the person we are talking about. He is the best for a reason and focuses on every detail.

“I don't think you can put into words the impression it has left on me and what it will do me and my growth as a coach. He's somebody I admire and look up to.

“Being on the bench and having players like Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, Michael Carrick, all these world class players right there in front of you, that is the level of player I essentially strive to coach and the fact he came to speak to me that put the icing on the cake.

“The whole experience gives me even more desire and hunger to get to the level Jose Mourinho is at.”

The Brit first moved to America in 2009 (
Image:
MLS Soccer)

Former West Brom midfielder Briggs first moved to America in 2009 to play for Wilmington Hammerheads and his coaching career began after he returned to the club in 2012 for the final spell of his playing career.

Briggs' first role was coaching the club's under-11 girls team and he ended up overhauling their entire youth set up from under-8s to under-18s and establishing a pathway from the junior sides right through to the first team.

Eventually Briggs was handed the top job at the second tier outfit in 2015 and when his side took RSL all the way to penalties in the US equivalent of the FA Cup he was approached by the club's general manager.

Briggs landed the Real Salt Lake job in 2015 (
Image:
MLS Soccer)

He said: “He liked how I did things, how my team played, how I carried myself and from there it transpired and at the end of the season I came here to coach the USL team and assist the RSL's first team.”

Briggs has continued to enhance his reputation this season by leading the Monarchs to top spot in the Western Conference on the back of a national record nine-game winning run.

Clinching the title is Briggs' target for this season with becoming a coach in the MLS or Europe something he hopes to achieve within three years.

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“A lot of USL head coaches are being promoted up to first-team coaches so who knows?” Briggs said.

“I just have to continue on the path I'm on, try and be as successful as I can with the USL team by hopefully winning the championship and see where it takes us.

“England is a bit of a dog eat dog world. In a nutshell I don't think I would be in the position I am in if I was still at home.

Briggs says he would have struggled to get the same opportunities in England (
Image:
MLS Soccer)

“Coming to America things have worked out for me so far and there are a lot of people reaching out and asking me about the pathway I went down.

“I have seen interviews with managers like Sean Dyche, Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce about English coaches not getting opportunities and eventually a lot of our good English coaches will go off and explore foreign routes.

“Going abroad and exploring opens doors. It shows you a different philosophy on the game and only broadens your horizons. The English way isn't always the best way.”

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