‘Age is just a number’ – Wigan boss Roberto Martinez sure Andre Villas-Boas will ‘do extremely well’ at Chelsea

Martinez, 38, is also pleased at being relieved of his position as the Premier League’s youngest manager by the 33-year-old Villas-Boas.

He told The Mirror: “I’m not the youngest manager any more, which believe me, is a great thing. It’s better to be an experienced manager than the youngest manager in the Premier League.

“Andre is a great example, not just for football, but life in general that age is just a number. What counts is that you are prepared and Andre is prepared to lead Chelsea and to try and win the title.

“I have followed him closely because his career is a fascinating story and he had that contact with Bobby Robson.

“I have spoken to him and everything he does breathes confidence. He’s going to do extremely well.”

Martinez’s side have finished 16th in the Premier League in his two seasons at Wigan, but he recently rejected an approach from Aston Villa for his services, choosing to stay loyal to club chairman Dave Whelan.

He now says the pair have a new target for the Latics, namely qualification for European football.

“The chairman has been so supportive to me. I couldn’t let him down,” he continued.

“I go back to ’95. We were at Springfield Park in the old Third Division and he said to me that in 10 years he was going to get the club into the Premier League and build a new stadium.

“He realised that dream and now our dream is to get into Europe. It’s not an aim for next season, but a dream we will fight hard to make happen.”