• Premier League

Eto'o: I've got nothing to prove

Samuel Eto'o has told Jose Mourinho he has nothing to prove and can keep scoring until he is 50 after the manager was caught making fun of the striker's stated age.

But the Cameroon international insists he will not cause trouble for Mourinho in the Chelsea dressing-room.

"Luckily I still score goals at 35, 36 years old, right?" Eto'o, 32, said after his manager was filmed claiming no-one knows exactly how old the striker really is.

"To disturb me, it takes a lot more, I'm Samuel Eto'o… To score three goals against Manchester United [last month], I think for a long time no Chelsea player has done that. At 36 or 37 years, I did. I remain Samuel Eto'o, I will stay at my place and I will not answer.

"If at 36 and 37 I can score three goals at Manchester United it means that I still have some juice and I can even score until I am 50.

"I came to the club largely thanks to Jose because we were friends. Now, there are things that happen in life we must face but it does not change the player I am, the career I have.

"And then what do you want me to say? I create a problem in the locker room saying all my thoughts? I want us to go as far as possible in this competition. I'm not getting any younger.

"I do not have to explain anything. I triumphed with all the teams I played for, I'm the player I am and I want to help Chelsea to win a cup this season."

Mourinho has tried to build bridges with Eto'o, who came off the bench for the last 22 minutes of his club's 1-1 Champions League draw at Galatasaray on Wednesday, since his comments were shown by French TV station Canal+ earlier this week.

The striker was said, initially, to be infuriated by the comments, which included the manager insisting his team "had no strikers", but appears to have decided to move on.

Demba Ba, another of the Chelsea strikers included in Mourinho's swipe, also made it clear he disagreed with his manager's view but decided against a public row.

He said: "I am feeling good. The relationship is OK - there is nothing exciting to tell you. I just keep smiling, keep fighting, keep training well and things will come.

"That's probably the way he [Mourinho] thinks; I have my way to think as well and - nothing special - I don't have an issue with anyone."

Fernando Torres, the third striker who may have taken offence from Mourinho's comments, scored Chelsea's only goal at Galatasary but was later substituted.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd