Grant, the club's director of football, and assistant manager Steve Clarke have been put in charge after the Portuguese left Stamford Bridge.

"It is a big job but I think Avram is ready for it and I think he will succeed," said Eriksson, who is a long-time acquaintance of Grant.

"He is a very good man who knows his football. The people at Chelsea are experienced and obviously they trust him.

"If they say he is the man and they think he can do it, I am sure he can.

"I know Avram very well. I have been to dinner with him many times and I will phone him to wish him good luck."

Reading's Stephen Hunt insists he is genuinely disappointed Mourinho has left Chelsea.

The Irishman felt the wrath of the former Blues boss last October when Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech sustained a fractured skull in a first-minute collision with the winger, who had been making his first Premier League start.

Mourinho accused Hunt of being deliberately reckless but the player said he bore no malice towards his accuser.

"Honestly, I'm disappointed he has gone. He is a character and has been great for the league," said Hunt.

"In terms of what he has done in the competition and the worldwide press he has brought to the game has only been good for the Premier League."

Derby manager Billy Davies also believes English football will miss Mourinho.

"He's a great character, a very strong-minded man and he'll be a big loss to English football," said the Scot.

"He'll go on to bigger and better things.

"There's one thing for certain in this game; you are going to leave a club at some point or get the sack.

"Whether it's because the club re-evaluate their goals - or you do - or whether there's a takeover or just time for a change, it's going to happen to you.

"Ultimately you've got to stay true to who you are and be true to your own aims and you won't go too far wrong."

Former England manager Graham Taylor believes the beginning of the end of Mourinho's reign came when Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko were brought in, reportedly against the wishes of the then manager.

Taylor told BBC Radio Five Live: "Once you take away the authority the manager has in signing players, you're on a slippery slope.

"What I would say about Mourinho is his record is with underachieving players and when Shevchenko and Ballack came in, it disturbed the balance.

"They have never looked as fluid and that's because the manager probably did not himself believe that is the way they should be playing."

Former Chelsea captain Ray Wilkins believes the club could now struggle without their inspirational manager.

"I'm absolutely astounded at what's happened," he told Sky Sports News.

"I don't really see the sense in it to be honest, let's hope they have got someone lined up."

Asked if he agreed Mourinho was the best manager in the game, Wilkins added: "I would say that would be a fair comment - obviously they will have to look for someone who can hold the reins.

"Winning football matches is what the game's about and he is a winning manager who puts a winning mentality in players' heads and they go and win things."

Another former Chelsea player, Gavin Peacock, was also worried, adding on BBC Radio Five Live: "I think that half the team will have been affected badly and it's going to be hard to get that team spirit that Jose managed to manufacture."

Mourinho's influence was felt even outside football and Prime Minister Gordon Brown heaped praise on the Portuguese for being one of the "great characters of the game".

Mr Brown's spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is a football fan and somebody who enjoys watching Premier League games, so he knows Mourinho has a fantastic record of success.

"He's made a significant contribution to British football in a short period of time and he's also one of the great characters of the game."