Middlesbrough have Jose Mourinho, in part, to thank for Premier League promotion: View | OneFootball

Before guiding Boro to Premier League promotion in 2016, Aitor Karanka honed his craft under Mourinho for three years at Real Madrid.

Middlesbrough appointed Aitor Karanka as their new manager in 2013, and Boro have José Mourinho, in part, to thank for the Spaniard guiding the Teessiders to Premier League promotion.

Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson is no stranger to handing coaches their first jobs in management at the Riverside Stadium.

Bryan Robson, Steve McClaren, Gareth Southgate and, most recently, Michael Carrick, all started their respective managerial careers with Middlesbrough.

Karanka was unique, however, as his appointment marked the arrival of the first foreign manager in Boro's history.

His reign was full of twists and turns, ups and downs, but Middlesbrough will always owe a certain level of thanks to Mourinho when reflecting on the club's promotion to the Premier League in 2016...

Karanka honed his craft under Mourinho at Real Madrid

After a short spell working as the manager of Spain's Under-16 national side between 2008-2010, Karanka was handed an opportunity to work under one of football's greatest managers, at one of the world's greatest football clubs, Real Madrid.

Taking up the role of Mourinho's assistant manager at the Santiago Bernabéu in June 2010, Karanka became one of the most envied coaches in world football, as he had a priceless opportunity to learn from and hone his future management skills from one of the best to ever occupy the dug out.

The pair would spend the next three years trying to conquer Spanish football together, and come their departures in the summer of 2013, the duo collected a Copa del Rey win in 2011 and a La Liga title in 2012, whilst also winning the Spanish Super Cup in 2012 too.

Speaking shortly after being appointed Middlesbrough manager in November 2013, Karanka spoke on his time working under Mourinho with Spanish sports news outlet, Marca. Karanka said: "I was surprised when he first called me. We didn't know each other at all, but he told me I would be part of the family.

"Mourinho doesn't believe in falseness. People said there were problems in the dressing room, that the players couldn't stand the sight of him... But then Özil gave him his shirt the other day.

"He said 'I'm going to make you face the press one day, that way you'll learn'... I thought he was half-joking. Sometimes he'd question something I'd said. 'I've got to do it your way, I'm your number two", I'd retort.

"I learned something every minute under Mourinho. He's always three or four steps ahead...He was a very demanding coach."

Mourinho's influence evidently rubbed off on Karanka's Boro side

Throughout his legendary career, the foundation for Mourinho's success, from a tactical perspective, has largely been built on being defensively solid.

So it shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone to see Karanka adopt a similar philosophy with Middlesbrough, as the Spaniard looked to build on the foundations for success laid by Tony Mowbray after the disastrous Gordan Strachan era at the Riverside.

Despite not being able to translate his defensive record into the Premier League, Middlesbrough in the Championship under Karanka were one of the toughest sides to break down in the division, with the Riverside Stadium becoming a fortress that saw few teams scale its walls.

In 2014/15, Karanka's first full season in charge at the club, Boro reached the play-off final after securing a fourth-placed finish which saw them score 68 goals, and concede a league-lowest 37 times.

That feat would be almost identically replicated the following season, with Boro scoring just 63 goals, but conceding once again a league-lowest 31 times on their way to securing automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Middlesbrough's goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos recorded a staggering 22 clean sheets that season, the most of any Championship goalkeeper that year.

Karanka's men became experts at defending one goal leads, with his Boro reign in the Championship remaining the gold standard for defending on Teesside, the likes of which many managers have failed to come close to replicating in the years since.

With him undoubtedly learning much of those tactics and intricacies from Mourinho, the legendary manager must be given his share of the credit for Middlesbrough's achievements during Karanka's tenure.