Jose Mourinho, sacked as manager of Chelsea in December seven months after winning the Premier League title, has said he is not enjoying his time out of work and will soon be back in management.

He did not comment directly on media reports that have heavily linked him with Louis Van Gaal's job at Manchester United.

But he did say that his family will remain in London and that he liked the competitiveness of English football.

"For sure, I will be back soon," the Portugese told GQ magazine in an interview published on its website (www.gq-magazine.co.uk). It did not say when the interview took place.

"(London) is an amazing place to live and for the family to be together," said Mourinho.

"As a professional, I am ready to move," added the former Real Madrid coach.

"I need competition every week. In Spain I was at an amazing club but I had four matches a year - Barcelona v Real Madrid, Real Madrid v Barcelona."

Mourinho, who also won the league with Chelsea in his first two seasons there from 2004 to 2006, suggested that he deliberately created "instability" among players once they won trophies, to avoid any complacency.

"If you are in a club that wins, if you want to win again you have to create instability in the winners," added the Portuguese, fired by Chelsea after a run of poor form by the champions.

"You have to make them doubt, you have to buy new players, you have to make them feel not in their comfort zone.

"There is a normal tendency to go to your comfort zone. If you don't react, if you believe that just because you won in one year that you are going to win again, it's very difficult."

He said of his current unemployment, "I am not enjoying it. To be fully happy I need everything, so I go back to football. I think it's my natural habitat."

Meanwhile Van Gaal told reporters that stories linking Mourinho with his job were hurtful to him and his family.

"The last two months have been very difficult for my wife, my kids, my grandchildren and my friends," he said.

"I do not believe there is already a relationship between Jose Mourinho and Manchester United."