Kaka indebted to mentor Mourinho

Kaka has credited Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho with playing a leading role in his return to form and fitness.

Brazil international Kaka is starting to show signs of his prior form after being plagued by injuries during his first two seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.

He was linked with a move away from the Spanish capital in the close season, but opted to stay in Madrid and continue to try and justify the reported 68.5 million-euro fee Real paid to prise him away from AC Milan in June 2009.

And the 29-year-old attacking midfielder, who has made eight appearances and scored two goals in all competitions this season, has thanked Mourinho for the faith he showed.

“I can only say good things about Mourinho,” Kaka told Real Madrid TV.

“He had everything to (put an end to my career), he could have thought: ‘A player who has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders is not doing well, we will sell him and bring someone else in his place, he is not a player I signed’.”

“(But) in the end, he always helped me. It is normal in football that the coach has trust in the players, but this trust is gained on the field and in training.”

“I believe I am gaining the coach’s trust, little by little. It has been very hard because I had practice sessions which were a disaster for me.”

“It was never his problem, but my own. And in the end he always stayed by my side, helping me and telling me to be calm and patient.”

Kaka revealed the helplessness he felt as injuries restricted him to just 51 underwhelming appearances in his first two years at the club.

“I cried several times, because I could not see the reason things were not going my way,” he said.

“I tried to do things athletes normally do, like sleeping well and taking care of myself.”

“Sometimes, after a game, I would train alone when I got home only to see if I could recover my form.”

“Football nowadays is very physically demanding, your opponents will devour you if you are not ready.”

“Now I am reaping the rewards from that hard work.”