Tottenham defender Matt Doherty admits the players are partly responsible for the demise of Jose Mourinho this past season.

Spurs parted company with the hugely-successful Portuguese in April - a week before their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City - just 17 months after his appointment.

Asked if the manager's demise had been a case of burnout, full-back Doherty said: "He was only there for 18 months. If it was three or four years, it could be a different conversation, but we just weren't getting the results for him.

"The manager is always the one to lose his job, but as players, we were the ones on the pitch and we weren't able to get the results for him, which was a shame because he's one of the best managers ever."

On his relationship with Mourinho, Doherty continued: "I definitely got a fair crack of the whip. I still played 25, 26, 27 games - that's a lot of games in a season, so I definitely got a fair crack.

"I had a great relationship with him. He was my neighbour for the whole year, so the relationship was fine. He was a great guy, but unfortunately these things happen in football.

"That was the case, but he is Jose Mourinho, he is one of the best ever and I have nothing but praise for him."