Barnsley have appointed Jose Mourinho’s ally Jose Morais as their new head coach.

The 52-year-old, who worked alongside Mourinho at Inter Milan when they won the Champions League in 2010, has been handed an 18-month contract.

Chief executive Gauthier Ganaye revealed Morais, who was due to take training on Friday morning ahead of Tuesday’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Burton, was the club’s top target to replace Paul Heckingbottom.

He told the club’s official website: “We’re really, really pleased to have secured the club’s number one target from the start of the process.

“We invited Jose to the Sheffield Wednesday match and began talks immediately with him and his representatives.

“To be fully transparent, we ran a fair and full interview process. We spoke to a lot of head coaches who were both in and out of employment.

“The interviewed candidates were all strong contenders, but the unanimous decision was to appoint Jose, who instilled the full board with the belief that he is the right man to lead us up the table, whilst bringing excitement back to the club with an attacking style and goals for the fans to enjoy.

“We now look ahead to a vital part of the season under Jose’s leadership. He is excited about taking training straight away and installing his own vision on the squad, which in turn has excited the club and its staff about the remainder of the campaign.

“We fully believe this is the right appointment at the right time. Let’s get behind them all on Tuesday night against Burton and look for a strong finish to the season.”

Morais, who speaks seven languages, first worked with current Manchester United boss Mourinho at Benfica.

They linked up at Inter in 2009 and claimed a famous treble as they lifted the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League crowns in the same season.

He later followed his compatriot to Real Madrid and Chelsea before heading to Tunisia for a head coach role with Esperance, and has also had spells with Antalyaspor and AEK Athens.

Former Portugal international Dimas also joined the club as Morais’ assistant.

Barnsley announced that the 49-year-old former Benfica, Juventus and Marseille player had joined the Reds on an 18-month contract.